


Double Argent

by KeepCaliforniaDreamin



Category: Carmen Sandiego (Cartoon 2019), Gravity Falls, Heat (1995)
Genre: 4D Chess, Action/Adventure, Betrayal, Breaking Bad References, Comic Relief, Hero Becomes the Villain, Julia Argent joins V.I.L.E., Julia/Tigress couple (maybe), Mild Yuri, Minor Julia "Jules" Argent/Carmen Sandiego | Black Sheep, Money laundering, Multi, Suspense, Thriller, V.I.L.E. - Freeform, good girl gone bad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-11
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:54:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 195,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24667204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KeepCaliforniaDreamin/pseuds/KeepCaliforniaDreamin
Summary: After being taken advantage of a time too many, the sweet, innocent, and intelligent Julia Argent takes a position as VILE's latest operative with her only objectives being taking down the only two people who have wronged her: Carmen Sandiego and Chase Devineaux. The two must form an unlikely alliance to help stop Julia and get her away from VILE's sinister clutches. But does Jules have a more complex long-game to prove how formidable she really is, or is she lost to the world of villainy forever? She also gets a little help from a certain feline V.I.L.E. agent. Leave a comment and enjoy.
Relationships: Julia "Jules" Argent/Tigress
Comments: 69
Kudos: 33





	1. One Week

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 2229 HOURS

We fade in on the Pershing Square subway station situated in never scenic Downtown Los Angeles. A city once rife with success, glitz, glamour, and movie stars; is now overflowing with homeless, high taxes, and air pollution from the Northeast Side to Venice Beach. But you didn't come here for a rant, you came here for action.

The Pershing Square Station was the closest facsimile LA has to Grand Central Terminal in New York. Except right now, the station was completely empty. An alarm was blaring throughout the facility. We hear some recovery grunts as someone rolls form the stairs down to the train platform. This unfortunate soul is none other than our favorite Little Red Robin Hood: Carmen Sandiego. Carmen landed with a thud on the platform. She was bleeding and slow to get up. Carmen got to her back and heard a slow pitter patter of footsteps on the steps above her. Carmen quickly crawled backwards.

"This is not good!" she called.

Carmen grabbed onto a bench and pulled her weak body up. She got on her compact com-link to try and call for backup. "Player, it's me, you gotta—"

Carmen couldn't even finish before a laser beam shot out from out of nowhere and shot her compact out of her hands landing on the platform, fried. Carmen hyperventilated as she looked around and saw no one, and the pitter patter had eerily stopped. "Where are you!?" Carmen yelled.

Again she heard and saw nothing. Carmen got to her feet and frantically scanned the platform. She was too weak to make a fast getaway but there were too many open areas for someone to attack. Suddenly, the ceiling above Carmen broke, and from the small circular hole, someone jumped through it, the individual and the debris knocking Carmen over.

Carmen was able to get to her feet and muster up a final showdown with this new foe. It was a woman, slender, wearing a skin-tight body suit in V.I.L.E. colors with an 'M' emblazoned on the chest. The woman had a host of melee weaponry, notable two Kukri swords forged in Damascus steel sheathed behind her. She wore a mask similar to Tigress's covering her eyes but the rest of her face could be seen. She smirked.

"Marauder?" Carmen spat. "Is this how it ends?"

"For you, perhaps" The figure—Marauder said using a voice scrambler to make her voice sinister sounding.

Marauder went on the attack, throwing combination after combination on the weakened Carmen, who hadn't been this beaten since Coach Brunt—five times her weight, nearly hugged her into oblivion. Carmen tried to jab Marauder, but she grabbed Carmen by her extended arm and kneed her in the chest before throwing her onto the side of the platform.

Carmen's head and neck were over the tracks. Her eyes went wide when she felt the tracks below her vibrate. Then the whistle of a train grew louder. Marauder had a foot on Carmen's chest, looking down at her.

"Who are you?" Carmen demanded. "V.I.L.E.'s new puppet? You knew exactly how to defeat me! How?"

"Oh, my dear Ms. Sandiego" Marauder mused. "I'm disappointed you haven't guessed by now. But, since it'll be the last image you'll ever see, I'll reveal myself" The mask was thrown off of her face and Carmen's eyes were wide, her jaw slacked. It was none other than Julia Argent, albeit with no glasses. "J-J-Jules?"

"In the flesh…"

…Two weeks earlier…

BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN 0945 HOURS

This sleepy one horse town in southern Michigan is home to very little. It's one of those rust-belt towns that never seems to get any less depressing. Amidst the boarded up storefronts and overgrown lawns lies the real reason this town is in decay: the old and deserted Cadillac factory on the edge of town.

What was once the height of industry for Michigan has been relegated to a smoldering remnant of its former glory. However, a dead, rusted factory made the perfect new Headquarters for our favorite super thief school. That's right, the old factory is the new HQ for V.I.L.E.

Dr. Bellum was busy working overtime to get the old factory up to modern-day speed, while simultaneously having her five monitors near her face watching cat videos, How-to instructional cooking shows for dishes she'll never make, and on the dark web trying to buy experimental weaponry and uranium.

Countess Cleo had already finished her quarters and was sitting on a couch thumbing through a fashion magazine she's read thirty times. Coach Brunt was sitting around, dumbbell in one hand, and a tablet in the other, watching reruns of Walker: Texas Ranger. Professor Gunnar Maelstrom was sitting at three different white boards trying in vain to come up with some sort of strategy to capture, eliminate, or incapacitate V.I.L.E.'s public enemy number red: Carmen Sandiego. Frustrated, Gunnar punched one of his white boards, and Brunt reacted by showing slight interest.

"Something on your mind, Gun?" she asked in mild sarcasm.

"Oh, the usual" the platinum haired mad doctor began. "We keep losing money and valuables while our little black sheep runs around the globe becoming all the rage with the millennials and do-gooders."

"You know as well as I do, she's bound to slip up sooner or later."

"But she hasn't, and in the interim we've lost billions in revenue. The longer Carmen Sandiego remains free, the more we lose."

Brunt put down her free weight and tablet and walked over. "Well maybe we need to look at this from a different angle?" she mused looking at the other two white boards looking like a serial killer was doodling on them. "After all, ain't the definition of insanity doing the same thing over again and expecting different results?"

"Yes, but this is not Pinky and the Brain, Coach dearest, this is real life."

"Hmm" Brunt then hatched an idea. "Will you humor me?"

"I have nothing else to do, so I shall."

"We keep using our own people to try and catch Sandiego. She knows how to beat them up to and including my own self."

"So what, we try and shanghai one of Carmen's allies?"

"Why not?" Brunt shrugged. "You know doc Bellum can turn their brains to scrambled eggs, it could work."

"Yes, but we'd need to get close enough to one of them" Gunnar reminded her. "And I doubt any of them are stupid enough to fall into one of our traps."

"I dunno, Tweedle-dumb and Tweedle-moron seem pretty easy targets" Brunt said, referring to Zack and Ivy.

"Hmm…I'll admit it's an out-of-the box strategy, but Carmen would come to us to free them, plus we tried that with those two before and it backfired severely" Gunnar reminded her.

"Alright, here's my pitch: there's gotta be someone else little red riding hood is close to, someone who we can mold into our image, possibly without the use of mind control. In short, we have our own double agent"

Gunnar's creepy smile perked up at the thought of that. "Not bad, but again, her allies are too loyal."

"You're thinking too narrow, Gun, we need to think of someone more peripheral. How bout that tall drink of water Shadowsan and I nabbed in France."

"I like the sound of that."

Dr. Bellum then came into Gunnar's office. "I finally have the place up and running."

"Good, this'll be ample opportunity for Coach here to let us in on her very evil and ingenious plan" Gunnar explained. "Most evil indeed."

A.C.M.E. HQ UNDISCLOSED LOCATION 1003 HOURS.

We fade into a parking structure of A.C.M.E's HQ in an undisclosed location. Out of a very environmentally friendly Yaris came our favorite English-Asian A.C.M.E. agent: Julia Argent, not as how she was pictured two pages ago. She carried with her a pink pastry box, because the laws of film and television demand all pastry boxes be pink. She also had a cardboard four quadrant drink holder with two quadrants occupied by a couple of to-go coffee cups.

Julia happily waltzed into HQ and over to her office. Well, it was the office she now shared with her partner, A.C.M.E.'s latest recruit, now in his second go-around, everybody's favorite bumbling French detective since Jacques Clouseau: Chase Devineaux. Their office had glass walls but was never the less very cubicle like, with their desks on opposite ends of one another. You can clearly tell whose was who's. Devineaux's desk was cluttered in messy paperwork, serial killer string boards with futile connects to Carmen and V.I.L.E., discarded mint wrappers, and a poster of the movie: Die Hard, signed by the film's star: Bruce Willis, Devineaux's hero. He also had a hand-drawn picture of Carmen locked in a cage with the below caption: N'arrêtez jamais d'atteindre votre objectif! French for "Never Stop Reaching Your Goal!

Julia's desk was literally the polar opposite. It was clean, with her paperwork properly filed. Many Post-it notes adorned her computer desk serving as reminders, and her wall was filled with motivational cat posters, the kind bedecking every high school guidance counselors' office.

Chase was busy toggling between Reuters news feeds on Carmen's latest exploits, which he was furiously typing into a Word document, and also playing a game of Solitaire, the perfect game for the insane and lonely.

"Good morning agent Devineaux" Julia said in her usual happy tone.

"Meh" Chase rebuffed her in his usual gruff leave-me-alone tone.

"I've taken the liberty of getting you a coffee" she cheerily put the steaming overpriced beverage next to her partner who couldn't have deserved her kindness any less.

"Black?" he asked.

"Of course."

"How many stevia?" Chase asked.

"Three, and I dumped the soy milk in the trash as you like because soy milk—"

"Is an abomination!" Chase finished her thought.

"Quite" Julia opened the pink pastry box. "I've also gotten some napoleon's and croissants. They're fresh."

"I'm not in the mood, agent Argent" Chase groaned.

"Oh? What is wrong?"

Chase pushed his keyboard aside and spun in his swivel chair to face his comrade. "What is wrong, you ask? Where should I start? Could it be some inconsiderate pigeon decided to use my brand new BMW as a toilet? Or perhaps, it's that my new A.C.M.E. jacket is a half size too small? Maybe it is that La Femme Rouge continues to be at large?" he boomed.

"Um, I am willing to guess it is the third one?" Julia guessed, taking a handkerchief to her glasses, wiping a smudge.

"Wrong! It is all three! But especially that do I not have the satisfaction of communicating to Carmen Sandiego with prison bars between us. And more importantly, I have had it up to here with you always taking her side!" Chase finished.

"I do not always take her side!" Julia scoffed, putting her glasses back on. "I am merely on the side of truth."

"Okay, then who was it exactly that hacked A.C.M.E.'s databases? Chief has all of us working overtime to reboot our mainframes and reinforcing our systems with an ironclad VPN. Ha! Even Carmen's own hacker couldn't penetrate our firewalls now."

"I will admit, Carmen Sandiego hacking our systems is concerning, but perhaps it is for good reason, a long game?"

"See! There you go taking her side again!"

"Not true!"

Devineaux took out his A.C.M.E. pen, clicking it twice and Julia's last sentence blurted from a speaker inside it. "I will admit, Carmen Sandiego hacking our systems is concerning, but perhaps it is for good reason, a long game." Julia sighed.

"I rest my case" Chase sneered. "Meanwhile, you treat every day like it is Bastille Day! We have real work to do."

"I agree, so if you would like to capture and interrogate Ms. Sandiego, then perhaps we should stop this petty squabbling and get to it?" Julia rhetorically pondered.

"Always three steps ahead of you, Agent Argent. While you were out buying pastries and coffee, I stayed here burning the midnight oil" Chase said. He popped the top of his coffee cup and dumped a 5 Hour Energy Shot into it before taking a large sip. My heart is speeding up just picturing it.

"My word! How many of those have you had?" Julia asked.

"Let me see…" Chase looked into his trash can which was filled with more mint wrappers, crumpled up papers, and discarded 5 Hour Energy shots. "Un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf—a lot. Sure I have a terrible rash, my right eye will not stop twitching, and my heart feels like it is about to explode, but it'll all be worth it once we capture Carmen Sandiego."

Before Julia could give him advice about his personal health, advice he should heed, they were interrupted by a knock at their door. It was A.C.M.E.'s resident stonewall of an operative, Agent Zari.

"Agent Argent, Agent Devineaux, Chief wants to see you both. Now" she said ominously before exiting. Julia and Chase gulped.

The two took the seemingly long walk and elevator ride to Chief's office. They opened the door. Chief's office was about as Zen as you'd expect. It was truly Feng Shui at its finest. It had one of those little fountains, a rock garden with the tiny rake, and a perfectly trimmed bonsai tree on her desk. The two knew they were in some kind of trouble as this wasn't holo-chief, this was actual Chief in the flesh.

"Agents. Have a seat" she calmly ordered. The two awkwardly sat at the two chairs in front of her desk. "Agent Devineaux, it is a pleasure to have you back with us, though I hope you've had some time to file out your rough edges."

"Of course, chief" Chase happily informed her.

"Now, I would like to recap your mission a few nights ago" Chief explained. A 4D screen appeared perpendicular to them with pictures and camera feeds of their previous mission. It details Chase bumbling his way to another failure which the former Interpol agent could only face palm at the sight of, but it did show something telling, it was Julia having a full conversation with Carmen. No one else was around but a CCTV camera told all.

"The Chief is furious about what you did."

"Jules, I know what it looks like, but I had my reasons."

"You are sure?"

"Of course. Now, this is the painting V.I.L.E. was trying to steal, make sure it gets back to the museum." Carmen handed off a priceless Van Gough to Julia.

"But of course." Julia waved a fond farewell as Carmen grappling hooked herself away, not reciprocating Julia's wave. The feed then cut. Chief looked at the two stooges with a glare of disappointment. Julia nervously looked away.

"Agent Argent, what is wrong with that picture?" Chief asked. Chase raised his hand. "Yes, Agent Devineaux?"

"She did not arrest her?"

"Correct" Chief then stood up to assert that she meant business. "Your "relationship" with Ms. Sandiego is growing tiresome. Have you not forgotten she is the one who hacked us—oh wait, I don't have to remind you because you mentioned it in the very video of you NOT ARRESTING HER!" Chief boomed.

"Chief! Is it not better to have Carmen Sandiego around to help take down V.I.L.E.? That's clearly her real mission."

"It was until she hacked our systems" Chief yelled before calming down. "This is hard for me to say but you two are the best suited to take her down. You're the only ones who have not only seen her but have had conversations with her. Unfortunately you're both uniquely incompetent in different ways. Agent Devineaux, you are arrogant and headstrong, but your determination is in the right place. As for you Agent Argent, you are intelligent, far beyond anyone I've ever seen, but you think too much with your heart. You do not realize that she is a snake who is only using your good nature to get information about us! It makes me ask the question: whose side are you on?"

"I am on our side!" Julia assured her.

"Then prove it, both of you. I have no choice but to offer you both an ultimatum because I am sick of letting Carmen slip through our fingers" she said looking at Julia. "And I am also sick of replacing damaged A.C.M.E. property" she said turning to Chase. "So, you have one week to have Carmen Sandiego in handcuffs and an orange jumpsuit, or I'll have your badges and your coats."

"But Chief, I was just fitted!" Chase complained. "sure it's a tad small but—"

"No buts except both of yours out the door. One week agents, starting now. That'll be all" Chief said, sending them out.

Both perplexed agents exited Chief's office, looking at one another with worrisome looks. They took the elevator back to their floor, they were the only ones inside. "One week, it's taken us months to merely come face to face with that Crimson Phantom" Chase scoffed. "Are you sure you will be able to assist me, Ms. Argent? Or perhaps you should take your resume to your little friend. I'm sure she has an opening."

Julia scowled at him, but then hung her head.

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA. 1419 HOURS

Meanwhile over to Carmen HQ, because we can't have a chapter without the title character. It's sunny San Diego, a great place for good living, because Los Angeles is unlivable and criminally overpriced. The HQ was more like a glorified Man-Cave. It had its own dojo, kitchen, video games, other tech, and a fully functional garage. The team was unwinding after another successful mission while Zack was busy playing karaoke, badly singing "One Week" by Barenaked Ladies, a perfect transition for Chase and Julia's situation. Carmen was having a debate with Shadowsan.

"No, no way" Carmen protested.

"It is the only way we can achieve success in our mission" Shadowsan insisted.

"Player took care of everything. Our donations are ironclad."

"Yes, but how long before A.C.M.E. has the Internal Revenue Service look into Black Sheep Inc. Not even Player has the capacity to outdo the United States government, no matter who is in charge of it" Shadowsan explained.

"We are not laundering money!" Carmen insisted. "We are not criminals."

Ivy was nearby, fixing a snack. "Yeah but, what happens if the feds audit the orphanage or the children's hospital? What if they like, take their assets and stuff?"

"Ivy is right, then they are worse off than they were before" Shadowsan agreed.

"Okay Saul Goodman, even if I was open to your idea, you have anyone in mind who will clean our "dirty" money for us?" Carmen asked.

"You insult me" Shadowsan smirked. "Just keep an open mind. Because one audit turns into another, then another, and suddenly the FBI is breaking down our door."

"Which is precisely why I was against the idea of a stationary headquarters to begin with" Carmen reminded them.

"Regardless of where we hang our hats, an audit is an audit, and even if they cannot find us, they will see to it that the organizations you've helped to fund may cease to exist" Shadowsan explained.

Carmen turned to the other brain-trust. "You're okay with this, Ives?"

"Not really, but I mean, it's not like we don't already steal, even if it's for a good cause. We're anti-heroes, right? Like Tony Soprano."

"Oh, you mean the fat mob guy from New Jersey who cheated on his wife, killed people, and ruined businesses all in his greedy pursuits?" Carmen raised an eyebrow.

"Uh, Walter White?"

"Killed people, cooked batch after batch of crystal meth for distribution, and ruined his family's life all so he could get a rush and feel alive again?"

Zack paused the song, he put on a nearby black porkpie hat and rushed over to everyone. "Ivy, Ivy, do the thing."

"Just this once" Ivy then put on her best Skyler White. "If I have to hear one more time that you did this for the family-"

"I did it for me" Zack put on his best Walter White. "I liked it...I was good at it...and, I was, really...I was alive"

"And the Emmy goes to someone else" Shadowsan rolled his eyes.

"Everybody's a critic" Zack sighed, removing the hat.

"So, where was I?" Ivy asked, getting back to their pointless debate. "Uh, Deadpool?"

"You are not helping!" Shadowsan snapped.

Suddenly, Player appeared over a monitor. "Hate to break up the anti-hero debate gang, but we got V.I.L.E. activity!"

"Where at, Player?" Carmen asked

"The land of fish n chips, double decker buses, and tea time—London, England!"

"Get us a plane."

"Way ahead of you, Red."

"I'll mind the shop" Shadowsan assured them.

"Fine, but we are done with the money laundering discussion" Carmen ordered. She, Ivy, and Zack raced into action while Shadowsan smirked.

BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN 1430 HOURS

Coach Brunt stood next to Dr. Bellum as the two were looking over information on who should be their new operative. "You are certain this will work, coach?" Bellum asked.

"Course not, I'm no mind reader, but hey, nothing ventured…"

"…Nothing ventured, what?" Bellum asked, still oblivious to idioms.

"Just keep looking."

The two had only information from Chase's former A.C.M.E. card, but were able to hack into more with the advanced computer system Bellum set up. Several photos of Chase and Julia seemed to pop up.

"You are certain this Chase Devineaux will be a suitable candidate?"

"I dunno. Get a look at the girl next to him there" Brunt ordered. Bellum enhanced the image revealing Julia. "Hmm, we know Black Sheep has to have some sort of contact with A.C.M.E., and from the way I've seen, this Devineaux chump is no fan of our former Lambkins."

"And this woman is? What if we cannot turn her with no mind control?"

"Your mind games turn everyone into robots. Besides, it's the emotion we want, Bellum. I want someone to betray Carmen Sandiego on their own free will. Wouldn't it be sweeter?"

"I don't know. I still prefer mind control" Bellum huffed.

"You just go back to looking at your cat videos. I want our agents to observe this…" Brunt typed on her keyboard, getting basic bio info on Julia. "Agent Julia Argent."


	2. Cornetto

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this week's adventure: Julia's loyalty is coming into question, Carmen and friends foil another V.I.L.E. plot, but was it too easy? Meanwhile, Shadowsan meets with two sketchy individuals, Chase Devineaux continues to prove why he is the comic relief character while Zack and Ivy eat ice cream. Comments and kudos always appreciated!

SKIES OVER THE ATLANTIC OCEAN 1820 HOURS.

A fast moving leer jet zips across the Atlantic Ocean carrying not some celebrity or shady oil baron, it carried our anti-heroes, whether Carmen thinks they are or not and that's why this show is so good. Inside, Zack was busy watching television while Carmen was uncharacteristically joining him. Ivy was fast asleep.

"Look, I need to talk to you!"

"No!"

"Come on!"

"I'm dialing 9-1-1. Because you've given me no choice!"

"See, now how's that not the mark of a crazy, insane, criminal?" Carmen asked, making reference to The Sopranos episode they were watching. I figure Carmen spent little time watching TV while on the Isle of Vile.

"Yeah, but he was a snappy dresser" Zack shrugged. "You both dress good and are considered anti-heroes sooooo—"

"No. Money. Laundering." Carmen insisted.

"Alright, jeesh Carm, I'm not the one you gotta convince. And what do you think Shadowsan is doing back at HQ?"

"Meditating, which he'd better be doing when we get back and not talking to anyone unsavory" Carmen warned.

The episode on the computer they were watching then changed to feed to Player. "Hey guys. I got the 4-1-1 on the piece V.I.L.E.'s trying to steal."

"Does it involve The Beatles?" Zack asked. "Cause that would be wicked awesome!"

"Cooler."

"More wicked than The Beatles?" Zack asked.

"It's a suit of armor! Once worn by the famous she-knight: Joan of Arc."

"Ooh, that is more wicked."

Time for some history! "Yup. She was a famous knight during the Hundred Years War. She would have visions of the arch angel Michael, Saint Margaret, and Saint Catherine the Great to support Charles VII of France and help defeat the English during the War."

"She was unfortunately captured by French noblemen who were English loyalists and was burned at the stake assumed to be a witch" Carmen added. "She became a Catholic Saint not so long afterwards."

"Ah, you might say she was a Black Sheep?" Zack cheekily said, nudging Carmen's elbow.

"Except if captured we won't become embers, we'll become convicts, which we won't" Carmen winked.

"The suit of armor is on loan to the Westminster Abbey Museum in the heart of London, but you better be stealthy as heck, gang, you're gonna be blocks from the heart of Parliament which has security out the wazoo" Player warned.

"We'll manage" Carmen assured the boy genius. The plane continued on its journey.

LONDON, ENGLAND 1834 HOURS.

We cut to a hotel near the Abbey in Trafalgar Square, a great place to buy overpriced tchotchkes. A curtain opens up and a figure looks out towards the Abbey. It's Tigress. Inside the room she is joined by V.I.L.E.'s two favorite knock-arounds: El Topo, and La Chevre. The latter two were huddled by a V.I.L.E. communicator conversing with V.I.L.E.'s newest faculty member: Roundabout, literally an evil personification of James Bond…actually, probably an evil version of M, from the James Bond universe.

"I'll see to it that the security cameras will be disabled and the guards diverted elsewhere. That should give you chaps ample time to make off with our armor" he explained.

"It's the perfect plan, Instructor Roundabout" El Topo assured him.

"Yes, it's full-proof, can't miss" Le Chevre added,

"It might even work" El Topo agreed. Both clearly sucking up to Shadowsan's successor. Nearby, Tigress rolled her eyes.

"You will of course relay your thanks to the other faculty members?" Roundabout asked wanting to remain in their good graces.

"Of course."  
"Absolutely."

"Smashing." They then received a call-waiting signal.

"So sorry Instructor Roundabout, but home base is calling" Le Chevre interrupted.

"Of course. Do inquire about how they are taking a liking to the new base, won't you?" the two gave him a nod before the call cut and Coach Brunt's mug lit up their screen.

"Listen up, three stooges. I gotta change in plans for ya."

Hearing Brunt, Tigress leapt over to the three and stood in on the call. "Of course, Instructor Brunt" she said.

"Pay attention and don't ask questions. This is gonna be very hard for y'all to hear, but that suit of girly armor we wanted? Let Sandiego have it."

This did not sit well with the three professional thieves. "WHAT!?" came the unanimous response.

"Look, I know it's hard to hear but you're gonna let little Black Sheep keep it. And here's the kicker, I don't want it to come easy. We have to make her think this was genuine."

"Are you okay, Coach? You feeling alright?" Tigress asked.

"I said don't ask any questions! You're gonna let Sandiego and her two idiots and Shadowsan keep the armor because we got a bigger prize in mind."

"Crown jewels?" Tigress asked.

"Boris Johnson's hairpiece?" Le Chevre asked.

"Royal Throne?" El Topo asked.

"Sadly no, gross, and uncomfortable. No. Your real task, is her." Brunt explained. A photo of Julia appeared in the upper third of the screen. "This is agent Julia Argent from those boobs over at A.C.M.E. I want her knocked out and brought to HQ."

"I dunno, kidnapping? That sounds more like thirty-to-life and not five-to-ten with good behavior" Tigress mused.

"Just trust me on this one, kiddos. I know it sounds strange but this is for V.I.L.E.'s best interest."

"Ooh, are we gonna wipe her brain and make her our little puppet?" Tigress asked suddenly intrigued.

"That was my suggestion!" Dr. Bellum called off-screen.

"Go watch your cat videos!" Brunt called "Anyway, no, it's a long shot but it'll be sweeter than pecan pie, because when it works, it'll bring Carmen Sandiego to her knees."

"I can really sink my claws into that plan" Tigress smirked.

"Good, cause I want you to bring her in while El Topo and Le Chevre, you both are gonna give a convincing fight to lose that armor. Watch the overacting and make sure you get away. Roundabout's got pull but it'll get suspicious if he has to break you both outta the pokey."

"And how should I reel our little fish in?" Tigress asked.

"Be creative, just don't screw it up, whatever you do. When you get her, give us a call and we'll spirit y'all away back to Michigan, sound good?" the three then nodded. "Good." Brunt smirked before ending their transmission, but the picture of Julia remained as we close in on it.

Before cutting to the real Julia, now in an A.C.M.E. vehicle riding through the London traffic. The car is being carelessly driven by Chase, who should really reconsider driving in general as his insurance premiums would make you wanna cry.

"You English never cease to amaze me, Agent Argent" he explained.

"We have a rich history, you know. We are the backdrop of modern democracy" Julia added.

"Yes, but my people, the French, and their contributions to the world have been far greater. We've given the world guillotines, Napoleon, and republicanism. The cornerstones to modern government."

"Which has given way to the death penalty, Hitler, and partisan politics" Julia reminded him.

"Why must you always rain on my parade, huh? And besides, I hope you'll be able to look past your "friendship" with La Femme Rouge this go around."

"As I have explained, I am on the side of truth, Agent Devineaux."

"Well on a practical level, we'll be on the side of unemployment if we let her escape, so even if you are correct, would you rather be honest with no job, or on my side with patriotism, law and order, and breath mints?" Chase asked, popping a mint.

"I mean, it is rather unfair that Chief put us in such a position, especially given Carmen's track record."

"Sacre bleu!" Chase slammed on the brakes and pulled over. "I know Carmen Sandiego is complicated, this I grant you, but why are you so stubborn?"

"I am stubborn because I don't think she is the evil doer you claim she is."

"Miss Argent, have you not figured out that perhaps we could let the courts deal with all that legal rubbish? All we have to do is have her in a cage breaking rocks, the rest we can leave up to the justice system. If you are right, then fine, I owe you a Fresca."

"What if they are wrong? She could go to prison forever" Julia warned.

"Yeah. Wouldn't that be nice?" Chase said, day dreaming.

Julia rolled her eyes. "There is no talking to you. It is like you have one mode."

"Likewise. Look, I know I am rough around the edges."

"That's putting it mildly" Julia muttered.

"But I have thoughts and I know things. Whether Carmen Sandiego is guilty or not, she is clearly manipulative. She would let us hang out to dry in a heartbeat. And unfortunately it puts us in an awkward position, so you must ask yourself Agent Argent, is your side of truth worth your livelihood and what you've spent your life trying to achieve? Because there is a time for altruism and there is a time to be pragmatic and I air on the side of pragmatism. It is up to you to figure out which is more worth it" Chase finished his semi-uncharacteristic philosophical quandary which will more or less serve as the set-up to our inciting incident. (No seriously, that last rant is the catalyst to Julia's development in the story so don't forget that.)

Julia sat and stared out the window. She didn't want to admit it, but there was something telling about Chase's argument. On one hand, Carmen has shown to be excessive in her fast-and-loose attitude in regards to the law, but she was a good person, right? She did seem to value her as a compatriot…right? These were things swirling around in her intelligent head as they drove through central London.

On the ground in what one would call London's Washington D.C.-esque neighborhood of Westminster, Carmen; now clad in her trademark red attire, stood on the top of Big Ben, looking down at Westminster Abbey a block away. Zack and Ivy were nearby, while Ivy tried to forget just how high up they were.

"No activity" Carmen said, looking through a pair of binoculars.

Ivy was hanging on for dear life as she broke rule number seven of film & television and that's: 'don't look down'. Zack was sitting nearby mindlessly sucking away on a Cornetto ice cream treat: Europe's answer to Nestle's Drumstick cone, and also the favorite dessert of all three Nick Frost characters in Edgar Wright's Cornetto Trilogy.

"Cornetto, anyone? I got another?"

"Mission now, ice cream later" Carmen ordered, not looking away.

"I'm afraid I'd just yak it up, anyway" Ivy said shivering.

"Suit yourself" Zack shrugged, tossing the treat into his gullet, which he will regret in three…two…one… "Ah! Brain freeze!"

"Hold up gang! We got activity" Carmen said, spotting El Topo and Le Chevre surreptitiously enter the Abbey. "Let's move."

"For the love of God, get me down, please!" Ivy begged.

Inside the museum, the two bumbling V.I.L.E. operatives snuck inside. Roundabout did a good job: no alarm systems, no guards, everything worked out. They made their way to the glass display case where the ancient suit of armor was kept.

"So, how do we go about this?" El Topo asked.

"You must think like an actor, mon ami" Le Chevre explained. "We must be convincing." He picked the lock on the case and grabbed the surprisingly heavy suit from it. While the two tried to move the armor towards the door, their prayers were answered as someone slid along the floor and knocked it from their hands, it was Carmen.

"Carmen Sandiego!" El Topo yelled in obvious overacting fashion.

"Hey fellas, I don't suppose you were just gonna polish this pile of metal, were you?" Carmen asked.

"Of course not! We're stealing it!" Le Chevre added. The two drew their V.I.L.E. stun wands. Carmen was then joined by Ivy and Zack. "Three against two is unfair!"

"When have we ever said we play fair?" Carmen asked. The three then went on the attack.

Outside, Julia and Chase parked illegally right outside the Abbey, A.C.M.E. brand stun guns at the ready, because who needs accuracy when you can stun everyone around you? "Say it with me: "Carmen Sandiego, you are under arrest"!" Chase condescendingly said to Julia.

"I know how to arrest someone, Agent Devineaux, contrary to popular opinion."

"I'll believe that when I see it. Why don't you make yourself useful and get me an ice cream, I'll handle this."

Julia pouted. "We handle this together." She marched towards the Abbey.

"Aw, but now I want ice cream!" Chase complained before following her inside. "Later, perhaps? Agent Argent?" Chase asked she obviously ignoring him.

Inside, Zack got a rib-full of zap by Le Chevre who then kicked his spasming body into an empty security booth, which knocked over a radio. It changed to a modern rock station which started appropriately playing Caught By The Fuzz by Supergrass.

"Ooh, fight music" Ivy mused as she got El Topo in an arm-bar. While she was distracted, El Topo threw the redhead over his shoulder.

"Carm! Get the armor! We'll handle the idiot patrol!" Zack assured her.

"I knew I always loved you guys!" Carmen winked. She started to move the armor, which again, was heavier than she expected. "Wow, Joan of Arc was not as light as advertised."

During the mayhem, which involved a lot of over-the-shoulder throwing, drop-kicking, and kick-boxing; Chase entered, seemingly alone. "Freeze! This is Chase Devineaux! You are all under arrest!"

"Oh hey, bro! Can you be a lamb and help us out here?" Zack asked as he was being used as Le Chevre's punching bag.

"Yeah!" Ivy grunted, kneeing El Topo in a very sensitive area. "Could really use your help."

"I will help alright. I will help you all into a holding cell!" He shouted, firing his stun gun.

Meanwhile, Carmen was struggling to move the armor further through the museum, she had Player connected through her communicator earrings. "Player, I need extraction on the armor."

"Coming right up, Red. I'll have it send right back to France right away" Player explained. "Remote chopper inbound."

"Where would I be without you?" Carmen smiled.

"My guess: prison, or as a V.I.L.E. robot."

"Ooh. Such options" Carmen chuckled.

As Carmen was passing a corridor, there was Julia, poised for the attack. She channeled her inner Robert De Niro. "Okay Julia. Tough love, tough love! She is a criminal, you are an A.C.M.E. operative. It is your job to arrest her—"

"Jules? Is that you?"

Julia turned to see Carmen standing right next to her, armor under her arms. The pixie cut agent quickly put on the toughest face she could muster, element of surprise blown to you-know-what, and she pointed the terrible stun gun right at Carmen.

"Carmen Sandiego, you are under ar—darn it!" Julia's hands shook too much and she dropped her gun, which Carmen knelt down and picked up for her. "Thank you. Now, you are under arrest!" she pointed it correctly at the heroine this time.

"Come on Jules, it's me. You know that."

"I-I mean, of course I do."

"Chief's not exactly over my hack, is she?"

"She has smoke coming out of both ears. She has me and agent Devineaux—"

"Hold that thought. Can you give me a hand with this? It's really heavy."

"Oh, of course." Julia holstered her laughable excuse for a weapon, and grabbed the legs of the armor.

"Relax. I'm sending this right back to the French museum, the security is better and V.I.L.E. won't be able to get their hands on it."

"Oh, good. I knew you were a good person. I just only wish you could explain that to Chief."

"Well unfortunately that would most likely land me in a precarious situation, and if that happens, whose gonna stop V.I.L.E.?"

"I suppose. It's just, Chief is threatening to dismiss myself and Agent Devineaux from A.C.M.E."

"Wow, she is desperate" Carmen sighed. "Maybe you two were better off at Interpol?"

"But I like A.C.M.E. The pay is equitable, these glasses are stylish, and there is so much good I can do in the world. Like prove that you are in fact not a criminal at all."

"And that's why you are totally my favorite" Carmen smiled.

"Really?"

"Absolutely. And look, don't worry about Chief, I'll think of something to keep you and Devineaux on the payroll."

"Thank you, but how?" Julia asked

"I have my ways" Carmen said with a wink.

They now found themselves outside, where a very fast moving helicopter hovered above them, dropping a fast-rope with a gurney attached to it. Carmen and Julia secured the armor to the gurney and it rose up to the helicopter before jetting away.

"And just like that, on its way safely back to the museum in France." Carmen happily said.

"I always knew you were one of the good guys."

"Let's keep it that way. Now if you'll excuse me Jules, I gotta jet." Carmen then sprinted away as Julia tried to wave at her.

"Uh-okay, but can we…talk, first?" Julia sighed as Carmen didn't reciprocate her wave yet again and was already away.

Inside the museum, Chase was busy knocking nobody out, except himself as he ran into his own smoke from the gun. Zack, Ivy, El Topo, and Le Chevre had already moved out of harm's way.

"I think it is time we made our escape?" El Topo asked.

"Quite, I think it gave Carmen enough time" Le Chevre nodded before making their getaway.

"Think it's time to bail?" Zack asked Ivy.

"Not unless you wanna be a sleeper, come on!" Ivy pulled her brother away while Chase was wobbling.

"Wait! You are…you are under…" He coughed. "Grand-mere, is that you?" Chase woozily blurted before passing out.

Zack and Ivy made it out the back entrance where a smug Carmen was waiting for them. "Carm!" Zack ran over to her.

"Did we get it?" Ivy asked.

"All trussed up and on its way back where it belongs" She then put her arms around the Bostonian twins' shoulders. "Now, about that ice cream?" they happily walked away, another caper well done.

The knocked out Chase then awoke moments later, now outside the Abbey, Julia stood above him. "Agent Devineaux? Are you alright?"

Chase quickly got to his feet, dusting off his jacket. "Uh, fine. Yes. And I see you do not have Carmen Sandiego?"

"Well, almost."

"Almost, you say? Well that's good, if this were a game of horseshoes or we were throwing a couple of hand grenades!" Chase sarcastically shouted.

"I don't think I like your tone" Julia sternly warned him.

"And I don't like do-gooder peaceniks who fail to draw a solid line between law-abiding and criminal, what's your point?"

"Look, Carmen assured me the armor would be going back to museum. I helped her load it—"

"Oh, you mean you helped La Femme Rouge steal the very thing we were trying to stop her from stealing!? This is a new low!"

"You weren't there! You were busy literally knocking yourself out!" Julia scolded.

"Touché, but it is still a better position than literally aiding our enemy and—" Chase then got an A.C.M.E. alert over his A.C.M.E. brand phone. "And…and-and the armor just landed safe and sound at the museum" Chase sighed.

"Wow, that was quick" Julia smiled. "And don't worry Agent Devineaux, Carmen promised she can help make Chief understand her position so we can keep our jobs."

Chase was slack-jawed. "I do not believe this! You are staking our jobs on the ONE person who has an interest in making sure we do not apprehend her!? What kind of secret agent are you?"

"The kind that doesn't yell the words: secret agent, in the middle of a crowded London street!" Julia boomed.

"You know what? I have had too much nonsense for one day! I'm going home!" Chase yelled. He turned to the road where his car was still illegally parked and it's windshield bedecked in multiple parking tickets. "Grrrrr!" he fumed. "Maybe if you stopped spending less time with your pastries, and your art history facts, perhaps we'd be closer to catching Carmen Sandiego!"

"Well maybe if you were not so arrogant we'd understand she's not a criminal at all!" Julia countered. "You know what, fine! Take yourself to the airport! I'll find my own way home!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!" the two pouted. "Good riddance!"

Chase stood there for a moment while Julia turned away from him, arms crossed. Chase was about to say something but instead he merely growled. He got in the car and drove away as his parking tickets flew onto the road. Julia started to shed a tear as Chase drove away, feeling like she just lost a friend.

On one hand, she was right: Chase was arrogant at best and incompetent at worst. But he had a point, she was staking their jobs and reputations on Carmen. And not that she couldn't deliver, but the fact remained, she had a job to do, and blew it in spectacular fashion…well, not as spectacularly as Chase.

"Wow, that was some fight."

Julia turned to see a sidewalk ice cream cart vendor with the vendor wearing a hat to cover their very familiar face. "I am sorry you had to witness that" Julia sighed.

"Aw that's okay, there's no need to frown" the vendor said in sort of a Harley Quinn-esque tone. "Ice cream makes everything better. Cornetto? They're really good" she put the ice cream cone right in front of Julia's face.

"I don't know."

"Come on, it's on the house." The vendor mused wickedly.

"Well, I could use a treat, I suppose. And that also means Chase Devineaux won't have it. Alright, thank you, friend."

"Don't mention it" the vendor smirked.

Julia took the treat and gave it a few licks. The vendor chuckled. Julia then started to feel woozy. Everything started to spin and she felt increasingly fatigued. "Oh my. Wha-what is in that-ugh" Julia then passed out on the ground. The vendor then stood above her and took off her disguise revealing a very smug Tigress.

"Sorry, guess there was just a little too much knockout powder in this one" she snickered. "Sweet dreams, sucker."

SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA 2320 HOURS.

Many hours later, our anti-heroes returned to their sub-tropical hideaway in sunny, scenic, and well-governed San Diego, because again, I cannot stress this enough: Los Angeles is terrible. As they exited their Uber from the airport, they were jet-lagged, in pain, and ready for some shut-eye. This would be interrupted by two men exiting their Headquarters right before they were about to enter.

"Yeah, good talking to you too, Shadowsan."

"We'll be in touch. Expect to hear from us soo—"

The two stopped as the three blocked their way forward. The one man was wearing jeans, a puffy shirt, and a flamboyant bandana covering an obvious bald head. He had a thick New York/New Jersey accent. He was known as Gypsy. The other man was a bit taller than Gypsy, wearing chinos with boat shoes, and a bowling shirt despite not being overweight, or Italian. He wore a neutral colored fedora, much smaller than Carmen's. His name was Vincent.

"Um, hello?" Ivy said with a raised eyebrow.

"Well that's convenient, now uh, which one of you is uh, Carmen Sandiego?" Gypsy asked. Both twins pointed to a visibly annoyed Carmen.

"It's a pleasure, Miss Sandiego. My name's Vincent, and this is my partner: Gypsy."

"Gypsy?" Zack asked.

"Yeah, Gypsy. You wanna fight about it?"

"No-no, we're good. My name's Zack, uh, this over here is Ivy and—"

"Why were you two in our base?" Carmen asked.

"Glad you asked, Miss Sandiego. Our Card" Vincent handed Carmen a business card titled:

"V&G Financial Consulting: when the best isn't enough, demand perfection?" Carmen read. "Financial consulting, huh?"

"Yeah, we do whatever you need us to. Stocks, bonds, ETA's—" Gypsy began.

"IRA's, mortgages, LLC's—if the SEC regulates it, we invest in it" Vincent added.

"Really? Do anything else? Money laundering perhaps?" Carmen asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh! Keep your voice down" Gypsy warned. "That's not exactly words for the public consumption."

"So you admit you launder money?" Ivy asked.

"People call it different things" Gypsy shrugged.

"And the police call it a RICO predicate, which will land all of us in federal prison" Carmen explained.

"And that's why we make sure nobody gets caught" Vincent added.

"We've been doing this for years" Gypsy said.

"Then do it somewhere else, cause you're not gonna be doing it here" Carmen demaneed.

"But—"

"It's not up for debate!" She said, moving past the two. Zack and Ivy walked inside as well, closing the door behind them.

"Hmm, that went well" Vincent shrugged.

The three stomped up to Shadowsan's dojo, where he was expecting them. "How was London?" he asked.

"Why did you do the one thing I told you not to do?" Carmen asked. "I said no money laundering, and what do you do? You launder our money!"

"Carmen, it was merely a consultation" Shadowsan explained.

"Consultation couldn't hurt?" Ivy said with a shrug.

"It can, because—"

"Because A.C.M.E. is coming down hard on all of us! You don't think the Chief will try to sweat us out first? Once she realizes she cannot simply apprehend us, how long before our finances get hacked, our charities audited, and then they might lose their 501(c )3 status or even get monitored by the government!" Shadowsan warned. "They want us to come out of hiding, and what better way than to reverse all the good you've done. It's dirty money, Vincent and Gypsy know how to clean it. I've known them for many years and they are the best in the business, and very sympathetic to our cause."

"Are they sympathetic to work pro-bono?" Carmen asked.

"Of course not. But they only asked for two percent each."

"That could be millions!" Carmen sneered.

"Is it better to have security than have A.C.M.E. take it all?" Shadowsan asked.

"He's right, Carm" Ivy said. "Were not exactly on Chief's good list over here."

"And they seem professional…sorta" Zack added.

Carmen sighed. There was something to be said about suddenly feeling alone. Sure this was a highly illegal thing to do, but they had little in the way of options. Shadowsan was right, they can't just arrest Carmen, she's too slick for that, but they could certainly make their philanthropy all for nothing, and then what's the point? Carmen sighed, and sat on the floor.

"They put our money into noting illegal, understand?" Carmen asked.

"You insult me. I already dozens of companies in mind who already wish to help us out. It'll be easy. We take our money to be invested through these corporations, they then make the phony receipts so the transactions can be accounted for, and move the money to our charities as donations on our behalf" Shadowsan explained. "No one's the wiser."

Carmen sighed. "Okay, ya beat me. Now, let's go to bed, I'm wiped."

"Same here" Zack agreed.

"Goodnight everybody" Ivy added.

Everyone walked out while a happy Shadowsan made a phone call.

BATTLE CREEK MICHIGAN 2045 HOURS.

Julia awoke many hours later. She first realized she was bound to a chair in what appeared to be a very small concrete walled room. As her eyes adjusted she focused on several people standing above her. It was none other than the V.I.L.E. faculty, sans Roundabout.

"What? Where in the world am I?"

"Relax Miss Julia Argent, you're among friends" Gunnar explained, coming into the light.

"You know my name?"

"Of course we do. It is our business to know your name" Bellum explained, also coming into view.

"We're so sorry for these dreadful accommodations" Cleo added.

"But we couldn't have you steppin' out on us before we lay out our little proposition" Brunt added. "Call it an offer you can't refuse."

"Yes, and also be aware we know who you are and where you live" Gunnar venomously said, holding up Julia's American work Visa with her address on it.

Julia was a very smart cookie, and it didn't take her long to realize exactly who she was dealing with. "You all work for V.I.L.E., don't you?"

"My dear Argent, we ARE V.I.L.E." Gunnar venomously explained.

"Well to be technical we do work for V.I.L.E., we just manage it, more or less" Bellum semantically added, taking all the wind out of Gunnar's proverbial sails.

"Really? You just had to point that out? Because I truly believe she's realized that by now!" Cleo scorned her. Julia wasn't paying attention to the argument and was instead nervously sweating.

"I can see you are chomping at the bit to comprehend this pickle of a situation so allow me to explain" Gunnar began. "We share a common "friend" if you will? A certain red coated scoundrel by the name: Carmen Sandiego."

"I wouldn't call her a scoundrel. She's not so bad. Especially considering she is making it her life's mission to taking you all down" Julia sneered.

"Yes, but are not the only ones she will be taking down, are we?" Gunnar asked.

"How do you mean?"

"Our little spy who brought you here explained that you and your bumbling partner: Chase Devineaux have little time to bring her to justice" Cleo began.

"Or risk being out on your keisters" Brunt added.

"Well, maybe she can help us out of that" Julia said, defending Carmen.

"Ha! She is covering for herself, so you will keep helping her" Bellum hissed.

"That's not true!" Julia yelled. "I will not hear it. So please, just wipe my memory, or whatever it is you do. It'll be better off than having to hear your lies!" Julia brazenly demanded, to Dr. Bellum's joy.

"Works for me!"

"Wait!" Brunt stopped her. "Wait. Everyone, I think we're crowding Miss Argent here, why don't y'all get some take out, I'll handle this."

"You are certain about this?" Gunnar whispered to Brunt.

"I'm positive."

"Fine. Come along everyone, let's leave coach here to her plan." He and the others started to walk out.

"I could eat fried rice for days" Bellum licked her lips.

"I hope it's not that awful place in the center of town. It's a grease factory over there, ugh" Cleo winced.

"Save me some orange peel beef…and a fortune cookie!" Brunt called. Gunnar then closed the door behind them, leaving her and Julia alone. She gulped as Brunt took up a chair and sat informally on it across from her. "Alone at last."

"Please, I'd rather be mind controlled than pounded into dust" Julia begged.

"Now-now, Julia—may I call you Julia?"

"Um, sure. Who do I call you?"

"Coach Brunt's the name. Brunt'll do. Anyway, there's no need for mind control or to pound you into oblivion. I merely brokered this little meet n greet so we could have ourselves a friendly fireside chat. This wasn't a kidnapping, it's more of a—job interview, to become V.I.L.E.'s latest agent of chaos."

"Well you are wasting your time. I am loyal to A.C.M.E." Julia insisted.

"You sure about that? Cause from where I'm sitting, it doesn't look like they're so loyal to you."

"Well, they do have a job to do. It is an unfortunate one because they do not realize that Carmen is—"

"A good person. Yada-yada-yada" Brunt sighed. "I get it. She steals from us, a bunch of thieves and gives all our goods back to where they came and our money to whatever bleeding-heart cause she can find. But, it's no skin off our bones, we can just keep stealing, but; you on the other hand can't just keep fighting crime if you have no job."

"This is true" Julia agreed. "But why me? Why join V.I.L.E.?"

"Good question, Julia. It's because you're perfect. You're smart. You're very smart, too smart for your own good. But you're also in deep with our little Black Sheep" Brunt sinisterly explained. "I can guess you two don't exactly have a real good face-to-face friendship?"

"Well, she's very busy."

"You seem to be on her side? Why does it always gotta be business with her?" Brunt asked.

"Well, perhaps she—"

"Perhaps you are a means to aide her in her cause and nothing more. She thinks that at any moment you're gonna come in and arrest her, but she needs you right now? Our friends explained she literally couldn't have moved that armor without you, and did she even thank you for your good deed?"

"Not in…i-in those words but-but she did say I was her favorite."

"Wouldn't a good person take five measly seconds to say the words "thank you" for helping them rob a priceless antique?" Brunt asked. "That's not exactly in your job description, now is it?"

"Look, Carmen is a complicated individual." Julia countered.

"Oh-ho, I know that. Who the hell do you think raised the little demon?" Brunt asked. "She was literally the daughter I never had. Listen to me, Carmen Sandiego will stop at nothing to take us down, but that could mean taking others down with her. You and Devineaux are on the top of that list. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if you went into work tomorrow and there's a pink slip waiting for you."

"No. We will be fine" Julia assured her.

"I'm not sure. So why waste your time with those chumps and with Carmen only for both of them to stab you in the back, cause that's exactly what they're gonna do."

"And you won't?" Julia asked.

"Shucks no. That's why you're here. Why stay on the boring straight and narrow path to a dead end desk job with no appreciation?"

"I am appreciated" Julia insisted.

"Don't lie to me hon, I'm not someone you wanna trifle with. You're just some knock-around pawn playing for two teams, neither of whom think you're more than a liability or another worker bee. You bring home a paycheck home for one and nothing for the other. That's what you have to show for it, a pair of sunglasses and a crazy handful of nothin'" Brunt added.

"Carmen does appreciate the work I do."

"If she did, why are you working for A.C.M.E. and not her, then?" Brunt asked. "I mean, she has those two ginger dolts on her payroll and they don't have one ounce of the intellect you possess. If Carmen really valued you Julia, why hasn't she offered you a job? She gave one to Shadowsan, but not you. Why do you think that is?"

"B-B-B-because I am better suited at A.C.M.E."

"Right. You mean because she needs someone on the inside over there. You serve your purpose to her by being sidelined. She knows you're smart, but she needs you to be a good little sheep and know your place."

"You're lying!" Julia spat. "And besides, what could V.I.L.E. possibly offer me?"

"Appreciation for one. I never miss an opportunity to make sure all my students get the thanks they deserve. You get to keep what you steal, we got cool outfits, you get your own code name, and we have fantastic health benefits: medical, dental, optometry, and preventative surgery" Brunt explained.

"That does sound nice. But I am no villain, I'm a good guy."

"You're a sucker!" Brunt sneered, standing up again. "You are one week away from having no job. You are not gonna catch Carmen and she is not gonna put you on her crew. She'll find some excuse: "three's a crowd", "it's too dangerous", "you don't want this life", and so on. You're a good-natured person, Julia, and A.C.M.E. and Carmen are taking advantage of you. We wouldn't dare. We're a family here, and you never-EVER turn your back on family. Does A.C.M.E. treat you like family? Carmen?"

Julia sighed. Lately it seemed like she wasn't well taken care of at all. For months she gave her heart to the side of truth. She was always nice to Chase who was the meanest person alive. And the Chief apparently turned her back on Julia the moment it was clear Carmen hacked A.C.M.E.'s systems (despite Chief inadvertently giving away the password to Carmen herself), and it was increasingly obvious she was getting little in the way of meaningful appreciation from Carmen Sandiego. Though, Carmen did care for Julia, she just wasn't aware exactly how to care for her. Learning to have meaningful relationships wasn't exactly high on V.I.L.E.'s priority list when they raised her. Julia hung her head, but didn't want to answer.

"You can forget all that negativity, Julia. You don't have to go back to your old life, you can stay here. We can getcha a cool name, new outfit, any weapon you could ever carry, just say the word. You don't have to worry about regulations, quotas, or feeling unappreciated again. Just say the word" Brunt smiled.

Julia paused, but then: "Never."

"You sure? Final answer?" Brunt asked.

"Yes. I would never betray A.C.M.E, or Carmen."

"That's too bad, cause one wrong step and they'll betray you in a heartbeat. I'm certain you'll change your mind."

"Keep dreaming" Julia smirked.

Brunt walked over to a nearby table. On it was a pen, a notecard, a rag, and a brown bottle—you've seen movies. Brunt wrote something on the card and then dumped some of the bottle's contents onto the rag. She walked back over to Julia, who went from unearned confidence to nervous again.

"Well, when you change your mind, here is my personal phone number and our address. I have a hunch you'll come knocking" Brunt said, putting the notecard in Julia's jacket pocket.

"I doubt that very much."

"I don't. But, I want you to sleep on it. It's a big decision, after all. I'll help you get started!" Brunt threw the rag over Julia's mouth and she was passed out again…

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON. 0308 HOURS

(I figure as Chief lives in Seattle, it's a fair assumption that might be where A.C.M.E. HQ is, and most of its agents would probably live there as well)

Julia then awoke later in a cold sweat. She was in her bed, still clothed. She checked her pocket and found her A.C.M.E. card, as well as the card Coach Brunt gave to her. She was too stunned to move. But something in the apartment caught her eye. It was something scrawled into her wall. She turned on her light and in red spray paint read: CONSIDER OUR OFFER, AND KEEP THIS BETWEEN US. WE'LL BE WATCHING, JULIA.

A stunned Julia shivered, she looked at the notecard one more time, with a bevy of thoughts coursing through her mind. She turned her head to her window and noticed someone on the roof across the street quickly duck down so Julia couldn't see her. It was Tigress, obviously keeping an eye on her.


	3. Allegiance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this episode, Jules starts to embrace her inner Heisenberg while floating with the notion if she is a good guy or not, while Carmen and crew sell their soul to a couple of professional grade money launderers and are off to a new mission, while Chase tries to haplessly make amends.

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON 0543 HOURS

Julia had the most sleepless and anxious night of her life. She knew Tigress would be across the street staring at her, watching her, and she didn't like any of that, not one bit. Her face kept staring at the spray painted gift V.I.L.E. obviously left for her.

At around six in the morning, unable to sleep, Julia joylessly washed the paint off her walls, revealing it was chalk paint and was a little easier to wash off. She had not one, not two, but three cups of espresso in the morning to wake herself up. She looked across the street to see Tigress wasn't there anymore.

Not only was the Asian girl thinking about being watched by the very organization she was trying to destroy (and there wasn't a thing she could do about it), but she was also thinking about Brunt's offer and her convincing arguments that Julia wasn't really appreciated at her job, or as Carmen's "favorite" A.C.M.E. agent.

But, she tried to think and drive at the same time, and not having any sleep and being jet lagged was not making her commute to work any easier. This was made more difficult by the fact she figured Tigress would be pursuing her so she didn't want to expose the location of A.C.M.E.'s super-secret Headquarters. Despite A.C.M.E. having satellite bases the world over, the HQ resided in the rainy, grungy, and woke metropolis that is Seattle, Washington. A city known for two things: Nirvana, and coffee…fine, and Frasier.

Julia recklessly drove all over town in her little Yaris trying to avoid a potential cat's tail. She even got out of the city and into neighboring Bellevue to confuse her. Eventually, Julia realized she wasn't being pursued or at least evaded Tigress. She went through a tunnel in an alleyway and ended up in the A.C.M.E. parking structure, this time with no pastries or coffee.

Julia sat at her desk, twiddling her thumbs and occasionally moving her pencils around to reorganize them. She got to work early, despite the major detour. She heard footsteps approach and smelled the familiar stench of too much Drakkar Noir. It was Chase, who was without hyperbole the last person she wanted to see right then. Chase looked just as disheveled as he normally did, but on this day, two to-go coffee cups were in his hands. Another agent, and uncharacteristically chipper one at that; Anthony Falco, called out to Chase from his desk.

"Hey, Devineaux, my man! You still coming over this weekend to watch A Million Little Things?"

"Oh, I wouldn't miss it for the world, Anthony! Ha-ha!" Chase called with the world's fakest enthusiasm.

"Good! Irene's making her eight layer bean dip! We added an extra layer!"

"Yum. Sounds good." Chase then entered his office and his face immediately soured. "I hate him so much. Why are these Americans always wanting to do stuff with you? Why can't they be aloof and standoffish like the rest of us?" he asked, presumably to Julia.

"Uh-huh" Julia muttered.

"So, um…I know we did not leave on good terms yesterday, Miss Argent, and I…I-I-I do feel some sort of responsibility for our snafu in London yesterday."

"Sure."

"So, in the spirit of partnership, consider this my…m-my-m-my-my…" Chase's head nearly imploded trying to say the word. "Apology."

Julia wanted to roll her eyes and get to work, and had she not have been kidnapped by V.I.L.E. the previous evening, that's exactly what she would have done. But, today was a different day, and all she could do was speak robotically while her mind was elsewhere.

"Thank you."

"I took the liberty of getting you a café today, and look…" Chase opened up the lid to Julia's latte, and there on the top was the saddest looking steamed milk foam heart you ever did see. It almost looked like the heart was breaking, which was fitting. "Yeah, I'm sorry, Ted was working the latte machine today, and you know Ted" Chase chuckled, trying to make conversation. "He's a few baguettes short of a bakery, you know?"

"Yup. Ted" Julia said, she stared at the dying heart and then smothered it by taking a gingerly sip.

"So, where did you go yesterday?"

"NOWHERE!" Julia blurted, only to realize Chase wasn't pressing her and she just looked like a crazy person.

"Um…okay. I was just asking."

"Oh, oh good" Julia nervously laughed before sucking on her latte.

"By the way, do you have family or friends in Michigan?" Chase asked. Julia spit out the coffee in her mouth.

"What!?" Julia then remembered the address card Brunt gave to her, which had the Michigan address on it.

"Um…because I got this piece of junk mail about visiting the Great Lakes, and I was thinking of vacationing there. I am asking around to see if anyone knows the area" Chase explained to Julia's sigh of relief.

"Oh…uh, no. And I've never been to Michigan! Minnesota's much nicer, go there instead!" Julia warned, again to Chase's raised eyebrow of suspicion.

"O…kay, merci for the advice."

"Hey Chase! My second cousin has a cabin near Kalamazoo as a matter of fact!" Anthony called from his desk, clearly eavesdropping. "We'll talk about it this weekend, pal!"

Chase slammed his head on his keyboard. "Fantastic!" Chase yelled muffled through his desk. Before they could get to work, Zari appeared in front of their office, about as animated as usual.

"Chief wants to see you both. Now" she demanded.

The two sighed and got up, ready for another post mission debrief/proverbial butt whooping.

SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA, SAME TIME

Literally on the other end of the West Coast, Carmen awoke in her room to the sound of banging, shuffling, and swearing. She got up and ran down the stairs to see what was wrong. Carmen was slightly disturbed to see bails upon bails of cash sitting in what was their living room.

"What in the…?"

"Will you hold the door for me?" She heard the semi-familiar voice of Gypsy call. He had two more bags of money underneath each arm while Vincent, with one bag was trying to hold the door for him.

"I am holding the door."

"You call this holding a door?" Gypsy asked.

"Well if you kept on moving, instead of complaining" Vincent chided him.

"Ah, fongool! Just get the rest from the car!" Gypsy called, tossing his bags inside. He then turned to Carmen. "Oh! Morning, boss!"

"What, what is all this?" Carmen asked.

"You outta know, you stole it" Gypsy said with a wink.

"This, this is all our money?"

"Ha! You kidding, this barely covers Vinny and me's finder's fee. It'll take a couple weeks to get it all in here, probably. Obviously, we kept plenty of finances in your accounts for personal expenses."

Vincent then rushed in, with three bags. "That's the last of it. Oh, hey" he noticed Carmen.

"I okay-ed this, barely eight hours ago" Carmen said in disbelief. "The banks just opened."

"I told you, we're good" Vincent nodded.

"Yeah and we had to go to like twelve different credit unions these accounts are linked to. Shadowsan and your boy with the face in the screen he authorized us temporarily to manage your finances, so don't worry, it's on the level" Gypsy assured her. "We have our people withdrawing your funds right and left but only the two of us handle the transfer to the companies."

"And we make sure once they have the receipts made up that the cash goes directly to your charities" Vincent added.

"You couldn't do this electronically?" Carmen asked.

"I thought you were a professional thief?" Vincent asked.

"I'm the best" Carmen snarked.

"Then you outta know, the feds love digging around people's financial transactions."

"It makes it much easier to audit electronically nowadays. If we go to different banks and take out a little at a time, it looks less suspicious that way" Vincent explained.

"Plus it's easier to make phony-baloney receipts when there's liquid cash to back it up instead of that fugazi electronic crap" Gypsy added. "Especially when it's dirty money were talking 'bout here."

"And, your friends at A.C.M.E, can just look up electronic transactions. They have to physically audit anyone dealing with actual money. They can't audit what they do not know" Vincent added.

"Like I said, nothing illegal, understand?" Carmen hissed.

"Is Microsoft Illegal?" Gypsy asked.

"No."

"Yeah, how about Berkshire Hathaway?"

"Nope."

"Target, are they illegal?"

"I get it! You made your point" Carmen groaned.

"Then we're good."

Carmen let them do their work as she went to make herself a coffee.

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON 0658 HOURS

From one cup of coffee to another. Julia sat nervously in Chief's office, doing that anxious leg shake people do at times. Chase was less nervous, knowing he at least made a valiant attempt…pathetic though it was, at catching Carmen and the other V.I.L.E. operatives. Chief, still in the flesh, finally entered her office, and took a seat at her desk.

There was a truly awkward silence for what seemed like forever. Chief would merge her eyes and stare at each of the two agents at her desk. Julia was afraid that Chief knew she was at V.I.L.E. HQ last night, and that she would be dead if she exposed them…but then again, if Tigress couldn't have known she had gone into the A.C.M.E base, how could she know if Julia told? Still, there was also something about Coach Brunt that was disturbing and she thought that if Brunt ever escaped custody she would find Julia, cause they did know where she lived. Even if she went into Wit-Sec she would—

"Alright, who wants to explain to me what exactly went wrong, yesterday?" Chief asked interrupting Julia's nervous thinking process.

"Um…could it be that—" Chase stammered. Julia simply remained silent, her mind elsewhere.

Chief slammed her fists on the desk, getting their attention. "You both let your petty differences get in the way of your goals! That's what!" Chief boomed. "Agent Devineaux, somehow you managed to knock out only yourself and no one else! Five potential perps and you found yourself in La-La land! And never mind the seven hundred and fifty pounds in parking violations you amassed in hardly two hours! But…" Chief sighed. "The car is very much intact and you at least followed protocol, ironically you were the gold star yesterday. It was YOU, Agent Argent that I am very disappointed in!"

Julia gulped. She was afraid Chief knew something. Like disappointed she did not come running to A.C.M.E. in the first place after being kidnapped by V.I.L.E. "Ch-C-C-Ch-Chie-Chief I can-I-I can explain—"

"Explain what? That you literally helped Carmen Sandiego move the suit of armor? Oh sure it made its way back to France but Carmen didn't make her way to one of our holding facilities in handcuffs! For once I must agree with Agent Devineaux, you let your so-called friendship with Miss Sandiego to get in the way of your job!"

Julia figured that would be Chief's critique, and was pleasantly—if not eerily surprised that was all she said. So she decided to keep fishing. "Oh, uh…w-what else did you notice?"

"Nothing. Our drones cut out around the time you decided to buy an ice cream from that street vendor" Chief explained.

"You got ice cream?" Chase complained. "Without me?"

"Focus agents! This is why I gave you both this ultimatum and so help me unless you truly hate this job I suggest you straighten up and fly right! Six days agents, six days. Now get to it!" she ordered. "I hope we do not have to have this conversation again." The two got up and headed for the door, but before they could… "Actually" Chief said, and the two froze. "You are dismissed Agent Devineaux, you're improving, and I like that."

"Merci, Chief."

"As for you Agent Argent, I want you to stick around for a moment longer."

"Okay" Julia sat back down. She looked back to see Chase give her a worried look before closing the office doors behind him.

"I want you to take this solely in the spirit which it is given: what in Heaven's name has gotten into you?"

"W-What on earth do you mean?" A nervous Julia asked.

"Agent Argent, I know you have had a good relationship with Carmen Sandiego in the past, but she has since crossed a line and the time for pleasantries, and coddling, and patience has passed. She is your enemy, she is your suspect, it is your job to put her behind bars where she belongs! Yet lately it seems you are doing everything you can to maintain the relationship you claim to have with her, but it is no longer sustainable. Carmen Sandiego is a master criminal and needs to be brought to justice! Period, stop. Have I made myself clear?" Chief finished.

Julia hung her head. Yes, Chief was right. Carmen was guilty of hacking A.C.M.E.'s files, and for what reason she didn't know. But still, she knew there was good in her and this never stopped her from trying to destroy V.I.L.E. while crippling them financially and helping the underprivileged. Julia was truly torn, not to mention the whole V.I.L.E. recruitment thing swirled around in her head.

"Yes, Chief" Julia huffed, barely audible.

"I know I gave you and Agent Devineaux an ultimatum, but to be frank I just wanted it to motivate you both. You two and Agent Zari are the only agents who have seen Carmen's face other than myself, and you are the only two agents also besides myself to have had any reasonable conversations with her, that is why you both are so qualified for this mission."

"No! If it is too much trouble, put me on a new assignment! I'm certain there is a terrorist and evil-doer organization out there for which I have no attachment" Julia begged.

"No, all our know criminal organizations don't play the games V.I.L.E. plays" Chief insisted. "You two are best suited here. I need agents who make no mistakes to go after criminal enterprises where they use guns and explosives instead of twenty-somethings in cliched costumes. Could you picture Agent Devineaux against the Irish Republican Army? Imagine him getting into an A.C.M.E. car without checking and then—Boom! Car bomb. Or could you see yourself against a rogue band of pirates in the South China Sea?"

"I do speak fluent Mandarin" Julia defended. "And I can swim."

"Do you also speak AK-47? How about RPG-7, are you fluent in either of those? Those swimming skills would be put to good use. Now we are finished with this discussion but I will leave you with this, if you do not make any meaningful attempt to arrest Carmen Sandiego—doesn't have to be successful though that would be great, but if you try to keep being buddy-buddy with her, it will be your job on the line, not yours and Agent Devineaux's."

"Y-Yes, Chief."

"Now don't think he's getting off the hook either, I'm gonna give him an earful over these parking tickets and not to mention some weapons training. He couldn't shoot the broad side of a container barge if he were kissing it! Now, get to work, Agent Argent."

Julia nodded and attempted to make a quick exit, tears in her eyes.

"You're a good kid, Julia…but sometimes you really have a hard time figuring out that some people just aren't worth saving. No matter how good they seem" Chief said ominously right before Julia exited.

Julia walked like a zombie back to her desk. She probably could have fallen asleep right on the floor. She noticed Chase was toggling on his monitor between the Crime Net database and cross referencing it with any newspaper headlines regarding any stolen goods or goods that were being transported…huh, maybe he doesn't suck so much at his job.

"How did that go?" he asked.

"Terrible" Julia frowned, looking at herself in the black mirror of her shutdown computer screen.

Julia's sadness quickly changed. It wasn't the melancholy one experiences in times like these, no, this was rage. Maybe it was the lack of sleep? Maybe it was Julia being constantly misunderstood by everyone she knew? One thing was for certain, she was angry. She was mad at Chief for thinking so narrow-mindedly, she was mad at Agent Devineaux for so many things she couldn't list them. She was mad at V.I.L.E. for just assuming she would turn traitor and then threaten her with secrecy…Yes, V.I.L.E., surely Chief would understand if Julia brought one of them in. She might even be able to change her mind about Carmen. And Julia knew just who to take her anger out on. But she had to be sneaky. She figured if A.C.M.E. went in guns a blazing, it would be easy for Tigress to make a quick getaway, but against innocent lil' Julia…she'd never see it coming.

Julia arose from her chair. "Agent Devineaux, I'm not feeling so well, please tell Agent Zari I went home sick."

"Uh, I am in the middle of something, Miss Argent, so—"

Angered, Julia threw up her hands and stomped her feet. "For pity sake can you cut your selfish attitude and do this one thing for me, please!?" Julia boomed, to everyone's surprise in their immediate proximity…no one more so surprised than Chase.

While Julia seemed embarrassed, she was actually impressed with herself. She walked away before Chase could even give her an answer. Julia muttered to herself as she walked to her car, and more when she was driving out of the security tunnel. She didn't seem to notice anyone or anything at first. But after a few miles of driving, a very inconspicuous bright yellow Porsche 911 caught her eye in her sideview mirror. Julia saw the person through the windshield. It was definitely Tigress. Still with tears in her eyes but a smile that said 'I have you now' Julia was ready to set her trap.

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA 0714 HOURS

Back in sunny San Diego, Carmen and crew were in their kitchen as Gypsy and Vincent were busy counting their money.

"Yo Vinny, I got another hundred G's for General Motors" Gypsy said.

"Alright, where did we earmark it?" Vincent asked, having an iPad open tabling up a complete invoice/inventory.

"Let's see: twenty five to St. Judes', Twenty five to Feeding the Hungry, and uh…fifty to—Carm where do you want this other fifty G's to go? Dealer's choice" Gypsy asked.

"UNICEF."

"And uh, fifty to UNICEF. You get all that, Vin?"

"Yeah, I can hear, Gypsy."

"Gotta say, they are efficient" Carmen said, shoveling a spoonful of breakfast into her mouth.

"You have an "I told you so" in your future" Shadowsan smirked.

"Fine, "I told you so" away, you were right. This way A.C.M.E. can't audit our charities and everyone still gets the help they deserve."

"And the corporations can write this off on their taxes so they have more left over for their employees or at the least job creation" Ivy added. "Everyone wins."

On the big flat screen in the nearby living room, feed from Player's room was playing.

"How goes it, guys?"

"Player!" everyone yelled.

"Hey Player, how's the boy?" Gypsy asked, stack of cash in hands.

"The boy has a new mission for everyone, and it's big one" A screen lit up, revealing a 3D map of a large pine forest. "How would you guys like a nice, easy mission right here in Californ-I-A?"

"Sold! I can't take any more severely long air travel" Zack complained.

"What's the scam, Player?" Carmen asked.

"The Redwood National Forest boasts the largest undisturbed collection of protected sequoia trees on the planet, including the tallest living tree in the world, known as the Hyperion which stands nearly four hundred feet tall! Three-hundred eighty to be exact."

"And let me guess: V.I.L.E. wants the tree so they can cut it down use it to make a bunch of cheap wooden cigar-store mascots to sell at exorbitant prices?" Carmen asked.

"That would be the short version, yes."

"We're not letting them get away with this! We're on our way!" Carmen, Zack, and Ivy finished their breakfast and made their way upstairs.

"I'll stay and help count the money!" Shadowsan called.

"Don't steal any!" Carmen yelled.

"Wouldn't dream of it" Shadowsan rolled his eyes.

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON 0828 HOURS

Julia spent over an hour trying to evade Tigress, but her efforts seemed to have worked. She lost her in a dark alley, and once Tigress had left-SNAP, she trapped the cat-loving Valley Girl stereotype and followed her.

Julia was still angry, and still very much in tears about everything that was going on. She wanted to settle this once and for all…but, aside from wanting to apprehend Tigress, she really didn't know what she wanted. She managed to tail her tail over to the Seattle Hilton which was a scant five blocks west of her apartment. Julia parked across the street as she watched Tigress enter the parking structure. Julia glared, and cocked back her A.C.M.E. stun gun, it was go time!

With a look of determination, Julia entered the lobby and sneaked along the columns holding the place up. She saw Tigress walk up to the front desk, wearing a civilian getup. She tried to listen in for any clues that might tell her which room she was staying in.

"Yeah, and can you get me the salmon this time, the steak was super dry last night" she complained.

"Yes of course, Ms. Pedersen, we will have that sent to your room right away—oh, how would you like that charged?" the front desk clerk asked.

"On the tab. Valuable Imports, Lavish Exports."

"Very good. And we'll send up some fresh towels, and a complimentary massage."

"It better be good, too" Tigress warned, walking away. Julia gave her one last glare.

The determined agent walked over to the front desk where a female clerk helped her. "Welcome to the Seattle Hilton. Checking in?"

"No, um, actually…I would like to inquire about a guest staying here, please" Julia asked.

"Oh, which guest?"

"Pedersen."

"Pedersen…Pedersen…oh—I think you just missed her actually."

"That's fine, could you just tell me which room she is staying in, please?"

"Are you family?"

"No."

"Well then I'm afraid I can't simply give you her room number, it's our policy, but if you wait a minute, I can call her room for you?"

"No, no!" Julia demanded. "I would really appreciate it if you please give me her room information."

"Well, I'm sorry ma'am, but I can't do that without proof of relationship or you have a legally binding search warrant. If that'll be all?"

Julia hung her head and was about to walk away. She got a few steps and realized she wasn't gonna give up this easily, she couldn't. She cursed out Chase and lied no less just to interrogate Tigress so she could look good in front of Chief. She was still in too deep. With a new look of determination Julia charged back to the same clerk.

"Actually, I really need to see her. You see, Ms. Pedersen and I are…well, it's complicated."

"Complicated how?" the clerk asked.

"Well…" Julia then got the brilliant last minute idea of— "We are lovers. We got into a terrible fight the other day. She's…visiting from Michigan, and it was supposed to be such a lovely week, but as it so happens with young love we've hit a snag—I say she never calls me enough, she says I don't respect her boundaries, it's a whole thing. I would really like to make amends and surprise her, so to speak" Julia explained.

This very convincing pack of lies hit the clerk where she lived. She put on a happy yet sad surprised face, you know the one. She placed her hand on top of Julia's which was resting on the counter.

"I know exactly how you feel. My girlfriend and I have gone down that road before. It never gets any easier, but the love makes it all worth it" she said, then looked around, no one was paying attention to them. "Okay, just this once. Presidential Suite, 4598" she whispered.

"Thank you so much" Julia smirked, impressed how she charmed her way past security.

Inside Tigress's presidential suite, all on V.I.L.E.'s dime of course, she was enjoying the lavish lap of luxury. She was out of her civilian clothes and was busy steam cleaning her catsuit which was hanging up. She was only in a robe. In her hands, she was nursing a green tea latte…Ted definitely didn't make this one. Suddenly, a knock came at her door.

"Ugh, took them long enough" she put down her tea, and steamer and went over to the door. "If this is my massage he'd better be a stud!" Tigress happily opened the door and was immediately taken aback.

Julia, back to tears was standing there. In one quick motion, she took out her stun gun and aimed it right at Tigress's face. The surprised blonde threw up her hands as she was too much in shock and backed in as Julia slowly into the suite.

"H-Hey. Um, hi. Y-You-look, y-you don't wanna do this. I-I-I-I have money—jewels? You like jewels? Shiny things?" Tigress nervously asked. She turned to a table nearby which had her claw gloves, which unfortunately it was too far for her to get to. "Look, t-t—t-t-take whatever you want. You don't want to do this. You know who I'm with! You think they're little offer of yours will stand if you kill me?" Tigress boomed, getting increasingly defensive. She continued to back into the room.

"Why…are you…following m-m-m-me?" Julia asked, tears cascading down her cheeks.

"Hey! It wasn't my idea! It was Coach Brunt's! She figured it would be too risky just to let you go, so….she wanted me to, you know, keep an eye on you. I don't know where your headquarters is, I swear!"

"I believe you."

Tigress had backed into a couch and flopped on it, she had nowhere left to run. "Julia, right?"

"Yes."

"I'm Sheena, but I go by Tigress."

"I'm not in the mood, for pleasantries" Julia hissed, her trigger finger getting increasingly shaky. "I am here to bring you to jail."

"Why would you want to do that? So much paperwork, and you gotta go to court—it's a whole thing."

"I don't care."

"So…does this mean you've rejected our offer? Our very generous offer?"

"Of course I have! I am loyal to A.C.M.E.!"

"I mean, are you? Are you not loyal to a certain fedoraed friend of ours?" Tigress asked.

"I am on the side of truth!"

"Look, Julia…I'm gonna be honest with you honey, you're a sucker. Clearly you got talent, otherwise the faculty wouldn't have been interested in you. Now, to be fair, Coach Brunt has this weird soft side about her which makes no sense given her like, persona—but you've even been able to charm the rest of the faculty. Professor Maelstrom? He was very impressed with you."

"T-They were" Julia asked, her aim getting shakier.

"Yeah. You stuck to your guns, didn't care if your mind got wiped, that took guts. It really made an impression."

Julia blushed, her tears stopped. "Oh, wow. They were impressed with me."

"And again, totally honest, I don't particularly see why, but clearly you had some gumption to get your way up to my suite and do what you're doing." Tigress then saw a slight smirk on Julia's blushing face as she lowered the gun just a little bit more. The blonde saw an opportunity. "Look, Brunt is…she's direct, but she's older, she doesn't get how us millennials think. Let me try to give you my pitch to join V.I.L.E., if you like it, then come with me, if not, you can take me to jail and I will go quietly."

"Really?" Julia asked.

"Well, Now that I said that out loud I'm not so sure—you know what, heck with it, yes. I'm sure."

Julia sighed. It was nice to know that others were impressed with her resolve, which was something she was trying to prove her entire life. Now, while she didn't know if she could trust Tigress, she could at least hear her out. It couldn't hurt after all.

"Screw my massage. Let's go get lunch." Tigress insisted. She ran to get her catsuit and jumped in the bathroom, changing very quickly. She came out and slid on her gloves, then put on her green duster to hide her supervillain outfit.

"Okay" Julia holstered her weapon, and followed Tigress out.

The two walked past the lobby, while the very concerned Clerk who helped Julia gave them both a smile and a wave as they passed the counter. Julia nervously looked away while Tigress raised an eyebrow.

"Why is she waving at us?" Tigress asked.

"Uh, don't worry about it" Julia said very fast.

The two sat at a nice little café in Pike Place Market, one of two actual tourist attractions in Seattle, the other being the Space Needle. Julia tried to not make the situation as awkward while Tigress seemed very sure of herself.

"So, why join V.I.L.E?" Julia whispered

"Well, I like things, I like winning, and I like the rush of it all. I started out as a teen shoplifting at the Northridge Fashion Center, but that seemed so boring to me, I moved on to being a cat burglar. When I heard through my underworld connections there was a school that trains professional thieves I could not pass up that opportunity" Tigress explained as we get a bit of her backstory.

"So, stealing is fun to you?"

"Baby, it's better than drugs" Tigress poignantly pointed out.

"But, aren't you afraid you could go to prison? This is case and point" Julia asked.

"That's part of the rush. Just knowing you could be caught at any moment. I love it. I love the chase, I love the thrill, I love the heist, I love it all. And the best part, you get to keep what you steal, unless directed otherwise by a faculty member."

As they talked, a rich guy was about to pass their table, and Tigress's sticky fingers went to work, as he passed, she effortlessly lifted his gator-skinned wallet. Julia's mouth was agape, the man didn't even notice.

"Gator, huh? Tisk tisk Mr…Larry Feldman" Tigress said, reading his driver's license

"T-Tigress!"

"That's my name."

"You just…you just stole that man's wallet" Julia whispered

"Don't worry, I'm gonna give it back" Tigress assured her. She opened up the money pocket and grabbed his cash, stashing it in her coat pocket. "I only take cash these days. Credit card fraud is sooooooooooo 2008" she shook her head. Then turned to see the man, Mr. Feldman doing that move where you pat all your pockets to find the one thing you're looking for, but you know it isn't there. Tigress stood up, wallet in hand. "Excuse me, sir? Is uh, this yours by chance?" Tigress asked.

"Oh thank God" Mr. Feldman happily took the wallet back. "Thank you, young lady. I'd lose my head if it weren't attached to me sometimes."

"Oh, you're welcome" Tigress smiled and watched her sucker walk to his awaiting valet. She turned and sat back down as Julia sat there dumbfounded. "And by the way, he was like the sixth guy I conned today" Tigress took out a rolled up wad of bills from her pocket. "Seattle business guys are big earners, there's gotta be close to three grand here. And don't let little red robbing hood deceive you, I was the best pickpocket in stealth 101, not her!" Tigress boomed. "She didn't even pass the final."

"Are you nuts?"

"Duh. You gotta be to join V.I.L.E. I bet you're a little nutty too. Look, Julia, I get the cash and the jewels are kind of pedestrian, but we deal in everything you would ever want. What do you really like in this world?"

"Well, I love history. Especially art history. The culture, and the symbolism, I love it all."

"Perfect. You've been on our backs for some time? How many cool things do you think we've stolen—answer: a lot! And we would have gotten away with it too if it wasn't for that meddling Carmen Sandiego. But who says things won't be different with you? You can take anything you can carry—heck if you can't carry it, we have a helicopter. Wouldn't you love to own a piece of history? Like that guy who cut off his ear."

"Van Gogh?"

"Yeah sure, him. Wouldn't you love to have an actual painting of his? Faberge Egg, maybe? I have seven, more than any private collector in the world. All carte blanche. Got any Faberge Eggs, Julia?"

"Um—"

"Yeah, I thought so. But you could, and never spend a dime."

"Wow. Seven?"

"Yup, and I want all fifty-seven."

"And you do not worry about getting caught?"

"Never."

"I could have anything I want?" Julia asked.

"Absolutely. All you gotta do, is take it" Tigress said, lifting another wallet from a passerby as she said it. She opened the pouch, empty. "Cheapskate" dejected, she tossed the wallet on the ground.

Julia was dumbfounded at the scope of V.I.L.E.'s activities. On one hand, it seemed like the opportunity of a lifetime. On the other hand, it was clearly and highly illegal. Plus, Julia would be betraying Carmen. She thought it might actually break her heart. But there would be recognition in it for her. Far more than she ever got at A.C.M.E. and certainly more than she would ever get working under Chase Devineaux. Julia was torn for sure. She stood up.

"I'm sorry, Tigress. But I-I just don't think I can do it. Not even for A.C.M.E.'s sake, but for Carmen's."

Tigress sighed. "Well, I'm sorry you feel that way. You do know though, she'll drop you the first chance she gets. Remember that."

"I don't believe that."

"Well, I know she would, but, a deals a deal" Tigress held out her wrists to be cuffed, but she knew she wouldn't go quietly.

Julia sighed. "No. As much as I want to, it was thrilling enough just to know I came within inches of apprehending you. Plus your faculty will know it was me."

"Yeah, they're pretty good that way" Tigress said, standing up. "Look, Julia, if I teach you anything today, just remember there's two kinds of people in this world: takers" she said pointing to herself. "And suckers, like Mr. Gator-skin. Question is: which one are you?"

Julia pouted. She knew Tigress was at least half-right. But there had to be another option, there just had to be! No one could merely live in Chase Devineaux's black and white world of good and evil, with no exceptions.

She also knew she was giving up an opportunity to arrest a top V.I.L.E. operative. But, at the time she was angry, and knew it would come back to haunt her if she did. Plus, she felt some weird connection with Tigress, something she wasn't expecting. Julia was so grateful, she got out her wallet to pay for their lunch, but Tigress stopped her.

"No-no, babe. It's on him" Tigress motioned to the valet stand where Mr. Feldman left earlier, and tossed a few stolen bills on the table before walking away.

Julia solemnly returned to work. She knew she was supposed to go home as she told Chase to tell Zari she was sick, but there was something about his unreliability that gave Julia the impression she should go back.

She did return in time for the mission alert. She had just arrived to her office. "Oh, I see somebody is not so sick anymore, huh?" Chase asked.

"You can go if you wish, whatever it is. I just want to collect some of my things to work from home."

"Whatever you say" Chase sighed, and ran for the briefing room.

Julia was about to leave when she ran into Zari, who as per her usual was less than happy to see her. "Agent Argent."

"I know-I know, Chase probably forgot to tell you I was ill."

"No, he did. You forgot to fill out your time tracker and check in with the physician. I'm going to have to file a written report over this."

There was something bothering Julia again. This time it was everything all at once. Her brain racked with fear, sadness, and torn about her future had finally reached its breaking point. And who better to take such aggression out on than the one person none of us cared about: Agent Zari.

Julia puffed out her chest and put on her angry face. "You know what Agent Zari? No."

"I'm sorry?"

"You heard me, no. I find that system bureaucratic and inefficient so I ignored it."

"Excuse me?"

"Yes, please ask a question as though you think it intimidates me. You know what? I'm leaving, and I don't care how many reports you have to write!" Julia walked away triumphantly before turning back to a dumbfounded Zari. "Go jump in the bay!"

"You're out of line!" Zari scolded her.

"Out of line, this!" Julia uncharacteristically yelled, shaking her fist at Zari. Still triumphant, she headed for the briefing room, where Chase had just exited with his orders. "I'm going with you."

"But, I thought you were ill?"

"Well I lied, how do you like that, Agent Devineaux?"

Chase stopped. This didn't seem like the innocent Julia Argent he knew and ordered around at Interpol. This one was much different. She was more sarcastic, and more sure of herself. He literally was at a loss for words.

"Well, are we going, or what?"

"Um, yeah. Let's go" Chase agreed. Julia led him towards the helipad.

HUMBOLDT COUNTY, CALIFORNIA 1501 HOURS

We're in the Redwood National Forest and Park near the Hyperion, the tallest tree in the world, located in the beautiful U.S. of A! America! Anyway, the tree had a massive cable around it while some of V.I.L.E.'s finest green-clad hench people were defending the tree from the would-be do-gooders who wanted to secure it…you know, because trees have leaves…leaves produce oxygen…which we need to breathe, and it's a fair assumption V.I.L.E. isn't gonna plant an acorn once they remove the tree like responsible citizens. Anyway, a log was being rolled down a hill into the human bowling pins that were the V.I.L.E. operatives. Two people were log rolling on top the log…bet you can guess who those two daredevils were.

"Nice one, bro!" Ivy high fived her brother.

Nearby, Carmen watched proudly at her two monkeys. "Nice work you too! You guys should go pro!" But just as Carmen said that, the log rolled out of control and into two trees, knocking the Bostonian siblings right off it. "Ooh, strike that. Zack, Ivy? Are you okay?"

"You bet, Carm!" Ivy called.

"A few sprained ribs here and there, but what's that, right?" Zack asked rhetorically…he was fine.

Carmen took their cries as a go-ahead to finish their mission, and headed for the massive pile of tree. There was one V.I.L.E. guy left defending the wonderous splendor of nature, though he was certainly the last one you'd expect. V.I.L.E.'s resident snob/snappy dresser: Dash Haber (Because Haberdashery! Get it?)

"Steal a tree; she said, it'll make Maelstrom jealous; she said. This is a new low" Haber said, securing the line.

"I agree. So how about you give it up, Dash Haber!" Carmen called.

Unamused, as he was with most things, Dash turned to the lady in red. "Hi Carmen, still in last year's outfit, I see."

"Still being Countess Cleo's errand boy, I see" Carmen smugly shot right back at him.

While the two traded barbs. An A.C.M.E. helicopter flew in under the radar nearby. And who should fast rope down to the ground, but Chase, and a determined Julia. Her face was sort of happy. She had a plan, albeit a last ditch one, but right now, it seemed it was all she had left.

"There she is" Chase said "Having a friendly chat with her accomplice…who is admittedly a very good dresser, no?"

"Focus. He is the villain, Carman is trying to save the tree."

"Why steal a tree, anyway? Especially that one? There are thousands in this forest."

"Just circle around and we'll take them by surprise, Agent Devineaux, and don't mess this up, you know what's on the line."

"You do not have to tell me twice, Agent Argent" Chase agreed. "Just as long as you do the same."

Julia smiled and nodded, and the two moved into position. Meanwhile, Carmen and Dash were continuing to get into fighting stances and trade insults at one another as if they were back at The Academy.

"Alright, so you want to get the butt kicking over with now? Or just continue with a few more insults, I'm game for either option" Carmen said.

"Oh honey. Crimson red is not really your color. You really should have really went with something more in a burgundy…blood burgundy!" Dash took off his hat, there the brim turned into a circular saw, and lobbed it at Carmen. She ducked of course but Dash made a lunge. Before Carmen could react, Dash got hit with something in mid-air.

"What the?"

It was a bolo which tied his arms to his body. He lost balance and rolled down the hill, knocking his head into a stump.

But, just so you know it isn't Chase, he was about to get into position, when his foot got stuck in what looked like a gopher or groundhog hole. "Gah! What the! Oh, come on! I did everything right this time!" he complained, trying to get his foot out.

Now over to Carmen, she turned to face the tree where a smile Julia stood triumphantly. "Now if only he had eyes in the back of his head."

"Jules? Nice one!" Carmen congratulated her. "Though you should be more careful. Dash Haber looks all unassuming on the outside, but he is cold-blooded."

"I can take him, I can take anyone" Julia insisted.

"I'd ask your help with this tree but uh…it's fine where it is" Carmen said. She took out her taser device and broke the cables attached to it. "Well, it's always a pleasure working with you, Julia, but I gotta—"

"Wait!" Julia stopped Carmen. "I want to talk. It will be quick."

"Um, okay, shoot."

"Here goes…I'm ready."

"For what?"

"To join you. To finally be a part of your team, permanently."

"What? Jules, you're joking, right?" Carmen asked.

"No. I mean it. I am formidable, I can follow orders, I believe in your mission, and I can handle myself in front of V.I.L.E."

"But…are you sure?" Carmen asked.

"Carmen, I've never been more sure about anything in my life. A.C.M.E. is going nowhere for me, and I just don't think I have a future there. I've had some time to think about this and I really think this is the best course of action for me."

Carmen was definitely taken aback this time. She never thought Julia would ever actually ask to join her team. Sure, at first it was merely her and Player, then quickly gained Zack and Ivy after it was obvious they were good at what they did and had nowhere to go. Then add one Shadowsan into the mix and you have got yourself a veritable Scooby-Doo Mystery Inc. facsimile…all they're missing is a mascot.

But Carmen knew this life wasn't for Julia, and not that she didn't think she could do it, but she knew if she chose this life she couldn't go back from it. She figured Jules had some sort of family she could fall back on where Zack and Ivy didn't, Carmen maybe had a mother out there, somethere, and Shadowsan was all but estranged from his own brother. No, Carmen couldn't let Julia make that mistake, but it was ultimately a hard decision.

"Jules…you—you don't want this life."

Julia's heart sank…it was one of the EXACT same excuses Brunt told her she would say. "B-But I—I—"

"Chief wants me to rot in prison forever, do you really want to be added to that list?"

"I can handle it! I am not some glorified historian! I am a hardened secret agent!" Julia demanded.

"But, what if it doesn't work out? Where will you go?"

"It will work out. Now we don't have to worry about meeting in secret anymore!"

"But it's too dangerous!" and there was the second one. "Besides, don't you think A.C.M.E. would be a better fit for you?"

And there it was, Julia's heart collapsed. Carmen was about to give her the same song and dance she did before about how the best way to help her was stay at A.C.M.E. to be a go-between for her and the Chief. Julia's eyes welled up. It was like meeting your hero and realizing it wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

Now, Carmen really did want Julia on her crew, she really truly did! They had the space at HQ, but it wasn't a life Julia was prepared for like Carmen, Zack, Ivy, and Shadowsan were. Carmen could see Julia's eyes well up. But before she should respond—

"So that's all I am to you? Just some glorified bookkeeper? Some mole on the inside of A.C.M.E?"

"What? No, Jules, it's not that at all. This life…it's not exactly warm and inviting. I couldn't drag you into it."

"Couldn't or wouldn't?" Julia asked, to Carmen's slacked jaw. "Yeah, I thought so. What else were you going to say? Three's a crowd?"

"No, Jules! You don't understand!"

"I understand, plenty! La Femme Rouge! All the things they said about you…I didn't believe them. But they were right."

Before Carmen could rebut, she recoiled, and raised an eyebrow. "They?" Julia stepped back. A curious Carmen tried to catch up with her. "Jules, wait!"

"It's Julia!" she called. "My name, is Julia." Carmen tried to step in again, but Julia raised her gun to her. "Get away!"

Julia took a few deep breaths. Then she turned and ran, dropping her A.C.M.E. pen communicator as she did. A confused Carmen had way too much to process. She turned to see Dash at the bottom of the hill, he had gotten out of his restraints and retrieved his hat. A V.I.L.E. helicopter hovered overhead dropping a line, which he quickly grabbed onto. "Ta-ta!" Carmen watched the chopper fly away and she was left with a million more questions than answers.

Meanwhile, back to Chase for a little comic relief.

"Hello? Anyone? Miss Argent? A little help?" Chase tried to grab onto his stuck leg and pull with everything he had, after a few unsuccessful attempts, he had finally done so, after the force was so great he fell right on his back. "Ouch."

BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN 2011 HOURS

"You did what!?" Gunnar boomed.

The faculty had just gotten wind that Brunt had given Julia, an agent at the very organization they were trying to take down, their exact address.

"Now, calm down everyone, I know what this looks like."

Looks like? This is a disaster!" Cleo boomed.

"I wanted her brains to be fried, was that really so much to ask?" Bellum questioned.

"For all we know, she's already giving us up to A.C.M.E. right now" Gunnar complained. "And they'll have our EXACT address!"

"Well, here's hoping Roundabout can find us a new-new home" Bellum shrugged.

"I hope it's somewhere warm again" Cleo hoped.

"I wanted her to think we were friendly, so she could sleep on it" Brunt tried to assure them.

"Sleep on it, alright. Probably waltzed right into A.C.M.E. and is probably up for a big promotion now, all thanks to you!" Cleo snapped.

"Now, hold your horses. We're gonna be fine" Brunt insisted. "I had Tigress put the fear of V.I.L.E. into her, and she reported nothing suspicious."

"Great, use the kitty cat to watch the mouse" Bellum sighed.

"Well, guess we'd better start packing…again" Gunnar hissed.

"I'll contact Roundabout" Cleo said.

"Now wait, I'll bet you—"

DING-DONG

Everyone froze as the sweet sound of a doorbell chime broke the tension. All heads turned to Dr. Bellum.

"A doorbell? Really?" Gunnar asked.

"What? I thought it would be a nice touch. Make this place more home-like" she insisted.

"It could be A.C.M.E. or the FBI" Cleo said nervously.

"Well, I suppose there's only one way to find out. But so help me, if this is about to be another rerun of Waco circa 1993, I am never speaking to you again, Coach Brunt!" Maelstrom boomed.

"It's probably the pizza we ordered" Brunt assured them.

Gunnar grumbled as he walked towards the front door, looking back at the others briefly. "A doorbell!?" He reiterated his frustrations.

Gunnar opened the door, where it was pouring rain, thundering and lightening. Despite his Swedish roots he put on his most convincing German accent to confuse whoever was at the door. "Wilkommen to Gunnar's Haus of strudel, und bratwurst, und sauerbraten, und…" He stopped in his tracks after he saw the soaked mess standing in the doorway. Everyone, sans Brunt who was smirking, looked and saw that Julia, eyes still teary, and a determined scowl on her face, was standing in their doorway…alone.

"Um…Miss Argent. To what do we owe the pleasure?" Gunnar asked.

"…I'm in…"


	4. Make Your Bones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julia begins her impromptu training as V.I.L.E.'s latest operative of chaos where she does unexpectedly well in the world of villainy, Carmen takes on multiple capers while pondering over her guilt of turning down Jules, and Chase Devineaux learns to fend for himself in Julia's unexpected absence. Comments and kudos always appreciated!

BATTLE CREEK MICHIGAN 2016 HOURS

The lightning flashed and the thunder clapped as the faculty had gathered around the front door, very befuddled at Julia's sudden interest in their offer. Dr. Bellum seemed to be the most confused, but you know…it's Bellum.

"You're in what, exactly?" she asked.

"Obviously she is in the Girl Scouts selling us Thin Mints—what do you think she meant?" Gunnar asked in tired frustration.

"Impossible. I specifically remember putting out multiple signs which read: 'No Soliciting'!" Bellum stated in her defense which got face palms from everyone around.

"So, what you're saying is…" Countess Cleo trailed, directly addressing Julia.

"That I have considered your offer to join V.I.L.E…and I accept" Julia smirked.

Coach Brunt had a you-know-what-eating-grin as she happily ushered Julia inside the lair and slammed the door shut. "I knew it! Oh you poor thing, come inside, it's cold and raining. Excuse me for just one little second" Brunt then turned to the faculty to do some well-deserved gloating. "I! Told! You! So!"

"Wait-wait, I do not accept this!" Cleo interjected. "We gave you an offer a mere twenty-four hours ago to literally change your life from a hero to a villain, a villain for the very organization you swore to defeat…and you decided against your entire way of life in that time span?"

"I know how all this sounds" Julia tried to assure them.

"Crazy, you mean?"

"Now Cleo, quit picking on little Julia" Brunt defended her. "She clearly chose to be here on her own accord."

"Or is A.C.M.E. awaiting us across the street and she merely led them here?" Bellum suggested.

"No-no! I promise. I am alone" Julia assured them, also briefly lifting up her blouse, revealing she had no wire. "No wires either. Nobody knows I am here, well, except for you all, of course."

"I'm still not convinced" Cleo crossed her arms.

Julia sighed. "Might I speak as to why I chose to be here?" she asked.

"This ought to be good" Cleo smirked.

Julia looked around this main and unfinished portion of the lair as many V.I.L.E. agents gathered around, including El Topo, and Le Chevre. Julia smiled when on a catwalk on a wraparound second floor above them she saw Tigress, giving her a smirk and waving.

"You were all correct. Not just about Carmen Sandiego who never wanted any more of me than to be a means to her end, but also how I was generally mistreated by A.C.M.E. and how nobody respected me. I took this day to realize exactly what I was doing wrong in my life…with a little help, of course" Julia pointed up to Tigress.

"Really? Tigress was the catalyst?" Gunnar asked.

"Along with Coach Brunt's hurtfully true words."

"I was only looking out for you" Brunt promised her.

"The point is, I am tired of being everybody's doormat. I believe here this can be a place where I can truly shine" Julia continued. "More importantly, especially after recent events, I realize just how Carmen Sandiego truly is as a person" and now an extreme close-up on Julia's face. "And I want nothing more than to take her down."

"What kind of "recent events"?" Cleo asked.

Julia sighed. "I saw she did not appreciate the work I had done with her before, and how I am simply someone in A.C.M.E. to help her reach her goals. I was used by her, and I will be used no more! I want Carmen Sandiego out of the picture in any way possible. You have no idea the hurt she caused"

"Trust us, our bank accounts are hurting" Bellum added.

"My point exactly. How long before she continues to use and destroy us all? I know I can be an asset to V.I.L.E. We can truly help one another in our shared goal of taking her down. You have the resources, and I have the know-how" Julia triumphantly finished.

"Those are all right and pretty words" an unconvinced Bellum began.

"But, you have worked against us in the past, up until oh-five minutes ago" Cleo added. "How can we trust you now? How do we know this isn't some elaborate plan to turn us in to A.C.M.E., or worse: Carmen Sandiego?"

"Well, I suppose the only way you would trust me is if there were some sort of initiation" Julia's suggested, to Gunnar's smirk.

"Yes. I like that idea very much. In certain gangs and more specifically organized crime they describe this process as making your bones."

"I will do whatever it takes" Julia gulped. Gunnar got right in her face.

"Whatever it takes?"

"Yes" she said more sure of herself.

"Well, we are an organization that fancies us some thievery" He smiled.

"But, what is there to steal in this one-horse backwoods town?" Cleo asked.

"Well, if you are not above something small, perhaps a small market? Maybe a convenience store?" Julia suggested.

"Ooh-ooh, perfect!" Bellum chirped, suddenly interested. "I want you to steal for me all the Sour Patch Kids you can carry."

"Your tongue is still bleeding from the last time we got you those, doctor" Gunnar sighed. "And I use the term loosely."

"Now-now, why start so late? Why don't we let Julia get some sleep?" Brunt suggested

"I don't know. A quickie heist might cement my vote for her loyalty" Cleo glibly explained. "Might" she reiterated.

"But-but Julia isn't cut out for this quite yet. She needs training" Brunt insisted.

"Oh please, the police response time here is worse than Dr. Bellum's attention span" Gunnar added.

… "I'm sorry, what?" Bellum asked, proving his point.

"I rest my case. But, I suppose we could settle this as we always do. All in favor of Miss Argent robbing a small-time convenience store forth-with?" Gunnar asked before raising his hand. Cleo followed, then Bellum. Brunt crossed her arms and glared at the faculty. "Then we are in agreement. Come Coach dearest, we will take my car, you're driving" Gunnar reached into his coat and tossed an already nervous and annoyed Brunt the keys. "Countess, any requests?"

"Ugh, at a convenience store, Gunnar? Surely you jest."

"I don't jest. And don't call me Shirley" Gunnar flatly joked before ushering Julia out with Coach Brunt in tow.

SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA 1851 HOURS

Carmen and company returned from yet another job well done. Carmen of course was increasingly uneasy over her fight with Julia, something she left out to Zack and Ivy who were relishing in more victory ice cream which was slowly becoming a tradition with them.

"You know what we're missing?" Zack asked.

"Jimmies?" Ivy asked (That's what New Englanders call sprinkles)

"A fleet of solar powered private jets to get us from caper to caper?" Carmen asked.

"Is that a thing?" Ivy asked. Carmen shrugged.

"We need a theme song!" Zack insisted as they clearly weren't going to guess the dumb thing he was thinking.

"See now that's much cheaper than jets" Carmen agreed.

"Theme song? What are super heroes now, bro?" Ivy raised an eyebrow.

"Eh, I think that might be a cool idea" Carmen shrugged.

"Carmen you're not serious, are ya?"

"Zack, I am putting you in charge of making us a theme song" Carmen patted him on the back and clearly ignored Ivy's eyeroll.

"Wicked!"

Everyone entered Carmen Brand Outerwear, which was now littered in stacks of cash while Gypsy, Vincent, and Shadowsan were tirelessly counting it, and earmarking bales of it to be laundered.

"Wow, they are worth the money" Carmen nodded.

"Good you're home. Any one of yous wanna help us out here?" Gypsy asked.

"Too tired" Zack blurted. "Got a theme song to write."

"Not in my job description" Ivy added, blowing right past everyone. Carmen sighed and shook her head.

Gypsy got a strapped 10k dollar stack of hundreds and pelted it at the back of Zack's head. "Ya bunch a goldbricks!" he shouted

"Hey! I get hazard pay for that!" Zack shook his fist before disappearing upstairs and taking the stack with him.

"Zack!" Carmen called with that mom-is-mad-at-you voice. A long sigh later, Zack tossed the stack down the stairs and Carmen picked it up. "Much obliged" she picked up the stack. "I'll help" Carmen went over to the money counter and started to run some bills through it.

"Thank you, Carmen" Vincent said, doing the same.

"What was Tweedle-Dumb talking about a theme song?" Shadowsan asked. "We are not having a theme song."

"Thank you!" Ivy called from upstairs, clearly listening in.

"Meh, it gives Zack something to do" Carmen shrugged. Shadowsan grunted, not amused. "Would you rather he be messing this up?"

"Fair point" he nodded, before getting back to work. He then noticed the solemn face on Carmen. "What is the matter?" Shadowsan asked.

"It's nothing, don't worry about it" Carmen implored him.

"It doesn't sound like nothing."

"Well, you know that A.C.M.E. agent, Julia Argent?"

"The mousy one with the glasses who couldn't arrest a geriatric stealing retirement home cookies if he were having an aneurism right in from of her?" Shadowsan asked, being mean.

"Her, yeah. She was at the mission tonight. She wanted to join us."

"Let her, we need all the help we can get over here! It'll take us weeks to clean this dough!" Gypsy called.

"Months, probably" Vincent agreed.

"Not the point!" Carmen called. "She's not cut out for this life."

"And the pranksters are a regular Bonnie and Clyde?" Shadowsan raised an eyebrow.

"Eww, they were a thing. Zack and Ivy are twins. Not the point. Jules has family. She has a life. You and your brother don't have a relationship even when you gave back your katana, I'm spending my free time trying to track down the mother I've never met who may or may not be alive, and Zack and Ivy have no one but each other. This is no life for someone like her."

"I got a wife and three kids" Vincent added.

"Not helping!" Carmen called.

"Two ex-wives, a fiancé and five kids between the marriages…also the fiancé's pregnant."

"Mozel Tov, Gypsy, I didn't know Sheila was expecting, how far along?" Vincent asked.

"Eh, about five months, she's just starting to show."

Shadowsan smiled as they were proving the point he was trying to make. "Okay, what if we all go down?" Carmen asked.

"Clearly she didn't seem to mind. She's helped you before, no?" Shadowsan asked.

"Well yeah, but—I…I just don't want to put her in harm's way, that's all."

"If she's with A.C.M.E., wouldn't she be getting in harm's way all the time?" Shadowsan continued his truth bombs.

"Look, Jules is better off there, okay? She needs to be there."

"To help us, you mean? You're not exactly popular over there after Player hacked into their mainframes."

Carmen glared at Shadowsan. She hated when he was right. She hated it because he spent most of her time at the academy tormenting her and now worked for her, so the insubordination was something that sort of harkened back to that time in school. However, what she hated worse of all was when he was right.

"Carmen, we could always use more support. If what you say about her is true, she has a vast knowledge of history. We could use that."

"Also another set of hands to count the money!" Gypsy called in the background.

Carmen certainly had a conundrum on her hands. Partially this was Jules being better off at A.C.M.E., not just because it helps them but it's also a safer place for her instead of being right up against V.I.L.E. while she had been a big help in Milan. But Carmen didn't want to put her life in danger. That was one thing she was not willing to do, especially considering she was already putting her life, Zack's and Ivy's life in harm's way all the time. She definitely didn't want to admit this moment of weakness and simply ignored Shadowsan while she continued to count their money. Shadowsan backed off for now, knowing this conversation was far from over. But as for Julia, her role in V.I.L.E. was about to take a dramatic turn, if only Carmen knew what was coming…

BATTLE CREEK MICHIGAN 2048 HOURS

An eerie Bentley with the license plate: PSYCHO1 pulls up across the street from BATTLE MART, a small-time convenience store that looked as though it was from a bygone era of cheap and terrible architecture from the sixties. Brunt drove the car while Julia sat in the passenger's seat. Gunnar sat in the back. The rain had stopped and everything was just damp and dreary.

"Would this convenient store be sufficient?" Julia asked.

"It'll do."

"Do you have any requests, Mr. Maelstrom?" a nervous Julia asked.

"Professor Maelstrom" he corrected. "It's been a long night—oh who am I kidding, it's been a long many nights. Just get me any bottle of alcohol with the word 'Scotch' on the label and I will be content" he insisted.

"Of course. C-Coach Brunt?"

"Oh, just seeing you on your first heist is good enough for me."

"Okay, I can do this" Julia promised them.

"Wait. You'll need these."

Gunnar got something from his jacket pocket, and then something else from the car itself. He put them both in Julia's lap. The former spy-turned villain looked in awe. One was a ski mask with the eyes cut out with no mouth, which I think makes it baclava, the other thing was a .357 Magnum snub nose revolver in chrome.

"My word." Julia gasped.

"Now don't be nervous, it's late, there's probably only one doofus working the place. Just put on the mask, wave the gun around, demand the money and get Doc Bellum and Professor Maelstrom their things, and be on your way. We already have a getaway car, it'll be easy" Brunt promised her.

"And don't be nervous, that's how all heists are ruined" Gunnar added. "Oh wait, there is one more thing."

"Yes?"

"Give me your wallet" Gunnar demanded.

"What?"

"We need to make sure you do not walk in and pay for your 'stolen' goods…even if you are taking their money. Your cell phone too."

"That trash heap doesn't have Apple Pay" Brunt growled at him.

"Not taking any chances, Coach dearest. Hand them over, Miss Argent."

Julia nodded and reached inside of her coat. "I'll take them, she likes me better, anyway" Brunt assured her. Julia smiled, and handed them both off to Brunt.

Julia then looked at the instruments of armed robbery in front of her. Sure she was nervous, but there was something that suddenly hit her about holding the revolver in her hand. She kind of liked it. Finally, a weapon that hits where you aim it! While she was still apprehensive, Julia knew she couldn't leave and give up now. She was in too deep. She got out of the car and started across the street.

"Go get 'em…Lambkins" Brunt said with a tear in her eye.

"May I be frank, Coach?" Gunnar asked.

"Shoot."

"Is all this nonsense because you miss being a mother figure to our former Black Sheep? And be honest."

"No comment" Brunt hissed.

"Some other time, then" Gunnar said scratching his chin.

Julia's walk across the street was the longest walk of her life…or it seemed that way at least. She breathed deeply as she entered the parking lot. Julia gulped and made large inhales and exhales as she grew closer to the entrance.

"Okay Julia, you can do this. Just like you planned. You can steal for V.I.L.E. you know what to do. You are not a sucker. You will not be pushed around anymore" she said to herself. Satisfied and with a determined look, Julia put on the mask, and clicked back the hammer on the gun. With one final deep breath, she entered the store, and the sound of that convenience store DING-DONG echoed throughout the musky excuse for a place of commerce.

Sure enough there was in fact one doofus working the counter, a youngster with a mullet which is all you need to know about him. He was jamming out to some tunes on a stereo he had on the counter by the register.

His attention quickly turned to the masked woman in a fitted pantsuit. "Huh. Oh-oh, right" he obliviously faced Julia. "Can I help you, yo?" he asked.

Julia took one more deep breath as she approached the counter, the gun down at her side and behind her back. "Yes, you can" she then shakily put the firearm in his view. "You can…you can give me all of your money!"

"Holy—you robbing me, yo?"

"Yes, this is a robbery!" Julia hissed. "Now put your money in a paper bag!"

"But, we like, only have plastic here."

"It'll do!" Julia huffed. She then made her way to the candy rack and absconded with everything that said Sour Patch Kids on the packaging. She threw them on the counter as Mr. Mullet finished emptying the meager amount of cash from the register and into the bag. Julia threw the candy in the bag and eyed up the wall of liquor bottles on a shelf behind the counter. "And a bottle of Scotch."

"Yo, take this Glenfiddich. My stepdad's ex-wife says it's off the chain" The guy insisted, throwing the bottle from the shelf into the bag.

"Fine, and do not call the police, or else!" Julia demanded, the man gulped, and she hurried her way out of the convenience store, picking up the pace as she ran to the other side of Gunnar's Bentley. After she was safely inside, Brunt stepped on the gas and they zipped down the street.

"I did it! I actually did it!" Julia chirped, impressed with herself, tearing off her mask.

"And in two minutes flat. Not bad, Miss Argent." Gunnar said, holding a stopwatch in his hand.

"Oh, I have your scotch" Julia handed him the bottle.

"Glenfiddich. Cheap and terrible. My favorite" He opened up the bottle and laid down in the back seat taking sips from the bottle. "You certainly have my vote to welcome you into V.I.L.E. Academy. I can promise you Coach Brunt's vote is a lock and I'm willing to bet Dr. Bellum will vote in the affirmative as well" he explained.

"What of the other one?" Julia asked.

"There's two, one has a day job that's more important than being on site, daily" Coach Brunt began. "I think he'll take a liking to you."

"But what of the woman in green?"

"Oh, never you mind about Cleo, she's…she doesn't trust easy, none of us do after Carmen Sandiego betrayed us" Coach Brunt sneered.

"Here's hoping you do not meet a same fate" Gunnar blurted semi-ominously.

"I promise you, I am loyal to V.I.L.E. now. I committed a crime to prove it to you" Julia insisted.

"Well, as I said, I am satisfied" Gunnar said, taking another sip. "Why do you want this life, Julia? This cannot merely be from your years as a walking doormat for every do-gooder who crosses your path."

Julia sighed. "I wanted to feel alive. Like I could stand up for myself" Julia explained. "Plus, I am obsessed with art history. It would be my life's dream to own a little piece of it."

"While I share your sentiment, those artifacts will have better security than a stoner behind a wall of plexiglass" Gunnar warned her.

Julia looked longingly out the window as Brunt crazily drove through the streets. "I understand. And I am ready for whatever is thrown at me…especially Carmen Sandiego. You were all truly right about her. She is only in this for her own pursuits. And I stood idly like a fool defending her constantly from the hands of A.C.M.E. and Chase Devineaux. I will not be made a fool anymore" Julia insisted with gritted teeth. "Never again."

Brunt smirked. Her fish was reeled in.

"Delicious" Gunnar grinned. "Well, as I explained, you have my vote."

"Now tomorrow officially begins your training as a V.I.L.E. recruit" Brunt happily said.

"Good. I really wish I could steal something else" Julia smiled.

"Easy does it, Tiger. No doubt the police are out in full force now. One heist at a time" Brunt said patting Julia on her head.

Back at the lair, Julia plopped her bag on the temporary faculty lounge table…which was little more than a cheap plastic folding table you use for the three BBQ's you host a year. Doctor Bellum rubbed her evil hands together before grabbing the packs upon packs of sour then sweet candy.

"Excellent! She has my vote! Welcome to V.I.L.E., Julia!" Bellum quickly raised her hand and took her leave from the other faculty members, dropping a few bags along the way.

"Well, that makes three to one" Brunt smiled at Cleo.

"Two, you mean."

"Regardless of Roundabout's vote it's a moot point as this makes a majority" Gunnar explained, he and Brunt raising their hands. Cleo crossed her arms.

"And when A.C.M.E. breaks down this door you'll wish you listened to my warnings" Cleo scowled before leaving in a huff. Julia felt disappointed, but Brunt put a large but nurturing hand on her shoulder.

"She'll come around. Give her time."

"I will" Julia nodded.

"In the meantime, let's get you to your room."

"Wait, room? I cannot return to Seattle?" Julia asked in disbelief.

"Well shoot, honey, you're gonna be in some intense training, you think you can fly back and forth constantly?" Brunt asked.

"No, I understand" Julia nodded. "So this is it, then. No more A.C.M.E."

"Not entirely" Brunt smirked. "You're the only one we have that has any connection to A.C.M.E., and from what you've told us no one else knows you've made this choice. It'd be good if you could play for both teams, sort of a double agent" Brunt smiled.

Julia smirked as well. "A double Argent, you mean."

Brunt chuckled. "You're a hoot, Julia. I knew this was a good choice, come on; we'll get you set up." She ushered Julia down the hall to the quarters area.

Julia was led to a college dorm-like room, which had a bed, a desk, a dresser, and one of those detached standing closets. "You're lucky. In our old place we used to house the students in the same room. I know it's not much, but it's still better than any place you'd have at Michigan State" Brunt explained. Julia sat on the bed, content with her decision.

"And tomorrow, I will call The Chief and request vacation time for my training."

"Atta girl. We're pleased to have you, Julia. Just note one thing" Brunt said ominously. "I have one rule…okay, I have a few rules—but I got one unbreakable rule, an unforgiveable rule, a rule your former friend Carmen Sandiego broke one time too many…we're a family here Julia. And you never—EVER turn your back on family, understand me?"

Julia should have been scared, but she wasn't…okay, she was at first but it subsided. She clenched her fists and looked at the towering woman square in the eyes. "Yes, Coach Brunt."

"Good. Like I said, we're glad you're here, now get some rest. Busy day tomorrow" as Coach Brunt turned to leave, a smirking face leaned against the opening of the doorway, it was Tigress. "Oh, you got yourself a visitor. Not too late, Tigress, she's tired."

"I'll be quick" She nodded as Brunt took her leave. Julia stood up.

"It's good to see you again."

"You too. I'm like-really glad you made the right choice. Hey, if you, you know, need any help with your exams, you got the best student in stealth 101 right here" she assured Julia.

"Thank you. It's nice to be so welcomed."

"And don't worry about Countess Cleo, she's just sore we don't have our tropical lair anymore. Anyone she can attach to Carmen Sandiego is the enemy to her. She's just stubborn."

"I understand. But I really want to take her down, and my former partner: Chase Devineaux."

"In due time. But you know, I just came here and wanted to welcome you to V.I.L.E." Tigress held out her hand for a handshake, but then recoiled. She instead gave Julia a hug, making the Asian girl blush a little bit.

Tigress then left Julia to her room where she crawled into her new bed after two of the longest life changing days of her life and ready for what the future would bring. She smiled as she drifted off to a quick sleep considering she had been terribly jet lagged and had no sleep in almost two days.

SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA 0711 HOURS

The next morning, Carmen and company were eating breakfast while they watched the tireless efforts of Gypsy and Vincent count their money who seemingly never needed sleep. Ivy was in awe of their efforts while Zack was hardly paying attention, hard at work with a pen and paper writing their theme song.

"Hey, what rhymes with San Diego?" he asked.

Shadowsan, already annoyed they would actually have a theme song walked over, and took Zack's paper before tearing it in half right in front of his face and letting the pieces fall to the floor. Not a word was spoken.

"Someone's a critic" Zack snarled.

"I knew I always liked you. Up top!" Ivy put up her hand for a high five, but Shadowsan, ever the stoic, ignored her. "C'mon Shadowsan, don't leave me hanging."

So he of course left her hanging, as he had more pressing matters to attend to. Meanwhile, Carmen was joylessly eating her brioche French Toast Ivy painstakingly made, the thought of losing Julia as a friend was really eating away at her.

"Carm, you hardly touched your brioche" Ivy commented.

"Huh, oh, sorry Ives. I guess I'm not that hungry."

"Julia Argent, still?" Shadowsan asked, gaining Carmen's ire.

"Jules? What happened?" Zack asked.

"Yesterday she had captured Dash Haber, and she wanted to join us, and I told her no and she ran off."

"What? Jules wants in?" Ivy asked. "Wicked cool! She knows all kinds of things about history and stuff!"

"Really, you guys too?" Carmen asked. "What happens if she gets caught?"

"We've all sort of made our peace that prison can't be so bad" Zack shrugged.

"What about V.I.L.E.?"

"Again been there, done that" Ivy added.

"And we do not necessarily need someone there on the inside. You have coped in the past without A.C.M.E.'s interference" Shadowsan added.

"Am I really alone in all this?" Carmen asked.

"Yup."

"Completely."

"Totally."

"When's she coming, we got money to launder" Vincent stated.

"Yeah, these two freeloaders here are no help" Gypsy wagged his finger at the twins. Ivy stuck her tongue out at him.

"Ugh. Fine. The V.I.L.E. faculty always votes on all major legislature and crimes they undertake, so, I guess we can function similarly, all in favor of Julia Argent joining—"

No sooner did Carmen get the words out when Ivy's, Zack's, and Shadowsan's hands go up. Carmen turned to Gypsy and Vincent who also raised their hands in agreement. Their flat screen monitor in the living room turned on and Player's face illuminated the screen, he was obviously listening in. His hand went up too. Carmen was outnumbered.

"You too, Player?"

"What? I think Julia would be a good asset to us" he shrugged

"Fine. We do have the space. But one thing still troubles me about last night" Carmen said.

"That being?" Shadowsan asked.

"Right before she ran off, Jules said: they were right about you. Who do you think she meant by that?"

"Clearly it wasn't V.I.L.E." If only you knew, Ivy.

"It had to have been like Chief, or like Devineaux or someone over there" Zack countered.

"That makes sense. But still…" she turned to Shadowsan. "Have you ever tried to…recruit people before? In my time at V.I.L.E. I never heard of anything like that?" She asked Shadowsan.

"Not to my knowledge. We rely on underworld connections to recruit students, we would never ask someone who already worked for an opposing agency to turn traitor. Too many loose ends. And you know what V.I.L.E. does with loose ends, don't we, children?" Shadowsan asked to Carmen, Ivy, and Zack nodding nervously.

"So, she definitely meant A.C.M.E. Yeah, you're right" Carmen nodded.

"Jules should make her bones by doing the laundry" Zack insisted.

"You guys had no initiation" Carmen raised an eyebrow, hands on the hips.

"Yeah, but Jules doesn't know that" Ivy winked.

"Um, hate to break this up but I did have a reason to call" Player continued. "New chatter of V.I.L.E. something about a big shipment of Persian rugs leaving Tel Aviv. They'll probably try and intercept in the Mediterranean."

"Well, no rest for the weary" Carmen stood up.

"Alright, let's hit it!" Ivy hopped up as well.

"Nice try. You two are going to give Vincent and Gypsy a break and help count the money today" Carmen ordered to the twins' looks of dread when they saw the bank vault of cash flooding their living room.

"What?"

"You're not serious, Carm!"

"Super serious. Now you two get to it and do whatever Gypsy and Vincent tell you" the two money launderers liked the sound of that.

"But-but-but-but-but-but" the twins stammered.

"No buts, get to it."

Zack and Ivy sighed as they hung their heads and got to work. Gypsy immediately flopped on the living room couch and went to sleep. Vincent tried to stay up and give orders but he too leaned against the nearest wall, and passed out. Carmen disappeared upstairs to prepare for her next caper.

SEATTLE WASHINGTON 0723 HOURS

It was dawn the following day. Chase Devineaux had once again been ordered into Chief's office which might as well have been his second office. He felt he was another day closer to getting the axe once again from A.C.M.E.

As he entered, Chief was specifically on the phone instead of communicating via hologram. The person on the other end of the line was clearly Julia Argent. Chase sat down quietly at his usual seat.

"Yes, I was made very much aware of your outburst yesterday, Argent" Chief said sternly. "I hope you know there will be consequences."

. . .

On the other side of the line was Julia, surrounded by several chuckling V.I.L.E. operatives in the background including El Topo, La Chevre, and Tigress. Julia was now sporting a V.I.L.E. cadet outfit instead of her fitted blue A.C.M.E. suit.

"Oh yes, of course Chief. And I would love to have the opportunity to personally apologize to Agent Zari for my conduct. As a penance I have taken the liberty of using my vacation time seek professional help for my behavior" Julia said in a sardonic yet comically disingenuously sincere tone.

"With all due respect, Zari knows she is not the rules Czar around here, that would be me. I will relay your apology to her, but it is not her you need to give your sorrows to. It is Agent Devineaux."

Tigress made the choke face then chuckled hearing Chase's name. "Of course. When I see Agent Devineaux, I will let him know just how apologetic I am to his plight at work and I relish in the opportunity to work with someone with such esteem and professionalism like him when I return" Everyone tried to contain themselves as Julia gave her fake sincerity.

"I'm glad you've decided to take some time off, lord knows you need it. You should be happy you still have a job after your little fiasco yesterday and for going on the mission unauthorized."

Julia made the yappy-yap motion with her hands, to more laughter from the others. Then she got sincere again. "Of course, Chief, and thank you for understanding, you have no idea how much your gratitude and mercy means to me."

The laughter continued, so much that Le Chevre had to move away as he was cackling too much.

. . .

Back at Chief's office, she was rolling her eyes, Julia's fake apology was starting to show, yet Chief didn't suspect a thing. She merely sighed "Now don't butter me up, I'm on a low fat diet. Just be sure to take your time until you return and so help me if you are insubordinate again you will be deactivated. Understand? … Good. Get well Agent Argent" Chief then hung up the phone.

"Miss Argent? How is she doing?" Chase asked.

"I was hoping you could give some insight on that subject, Agent Devineaux. You were the last A.C.M.E. agent to see her before she mysteriously vanished."

"She was quite strange, actually. She was depressed after we met with you, then after lunch she was animated, sure of herself, she admitted she lied about being ill."

"Hmm, is she adjusting well to living here in America?"

"I know I am. Your portions of bigger and your mints taste like delicious chemicals" Chase said, before popping a Mentos.

"I know Argent was broken up ever since Carmen Sandiego hacked us. But she seemed fine until after the London mission, correct?"

"Yes, I must agree."

"I'll look into it. In the meantime, our Crime Net analysts smell a caper in the Mediterranean. You of course will go with Agent Zari."

"Of course, Chief."

"You are improving Agent Devineaux, and that makes Chief very happy, pretty soon you will get that photo of Carmen Sandiego in handcuffs."

"My life's dream" Chase shed a tear.

"Well, you're not making arrests in my office, hop to it."

"Right away, Chief."

"And for the love of all that is Holy, watch where you step, please?"

"I shall." Chase got up to leave.

"And you're chipping in some money for your parking fiasco!" she called., Chase made a nervous smirk, before leaving her. Then Chief sat back in her chair and pondered at Julia's suddenly strange behavior. "London…hmm…"

BATTLE CREEK MICHIGAN SAME TIME

The phone call ended and everyone was pleased with Julia's deception. "Ah, sometimes even the overacting is fun to listen to" Tigress mused.

"You are a natural, mon ami. It is lucky we have you here" Le Chevre said, twas his attempt of busting a move on the new girl.

"Si, your boss does not suspect a thing, brilliantly done" El Topo effusively agreed, trying to one-up Le Chevre.

"Hey, back off!" Tigress warned them. "I know what you two are doing. She's not in to either of you."

"And how would you know thaaaaaa-which is to say, I am merely being friendly to our new recruit" Le Chevre tried to save himself.

"It is alright, Tigress. I feel very welcomed" Julia nodded.

They were then interrupted by Coach Brunt, joined by the silent Mime Bomb. "Listen up kids, we got us a big shipment of Persian rugs that needs a-stealin'. It's leaving Tel Aviv and is on its way to Sao Paolo. El Topo and Le Chevre, you two are going with Mime Bomb here to make sure those rugs never make it to Brazil but instead find a permanent home here in Battle Creek. And make sure they're in one piece. You know how Countess Cleo is fond of Persian things."

"Yes, Coach Brunt" the two nodded.

"Oh Julia, I see you've met all three stooges, have you been introduced to Mime Bomb?"

"Actually we have met before, in San Francisco…sorry for detaining you" Julia chuckled nervously.

Mime bomb shrugged it off and made a water-under-the-bridge mime.

"Oh, he's saying it's water under the bridge" Julia clapped.

"San Francisco. I am never gonna let Black Sheep live it down" Tigress sneered.

"Then don't let that big head of yours get in the way. Alright you three, get to work. As for you Julia, I got you another gift. Dr. Bellum made these while you slept" Coach Brunt handed Julia a contacts case.

"Oh?"

"They're contacts. Made of soft smooth polymer, they stay constantly moist and keep out all debris. We checked, they're your prescription."

"Wow, thank you" Julia took off her glasses and put in the contacts, she was pleased. Her first look was of Coach Brunt and Tigress, and it was a clear picture. "It's perfect."

"Alright, you got classes, and you three got rugs, let's go to work. Earn your keep."

Everyone then got busy. And now, it's MONTAGE TIME! We flip back and forth to Julia's classes with the various capers committed by V.I.L.E. and foiled by Carmen and bungled by Chase Devineaux. But what's a montage without a little montage music? Over these scenes "False Pretense" by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus starts playing. It is the best song for any getting-stuff-done montage. If you listen to the lyrics carefully, it also pays a lot of lip service to the story going on here.

First up, Julia was in Coach Brunt's combat training course, in a factory floor which was converted to a gym. Brunt tossed her a bamboo stick. Tigress and several V.I.L.E. operatives stood idly by.

"We got two rules here in V.I.L.E. combat. Never enter a room without an exit plan, annnnd—" she then chuckled a softball at Tigress, who wasn't paying attention. "—Always protect the face."

Julia proved to be a quick study, given her training with Interpol and work with A.C.M.E. She beat the practice dummies with ease. "Nice work, Julia, but let's see how you fare with a live target. Paper Star! Get your psycho butt over here and spar with our newbie."

Huh, this is the first time I've used Paper Star in one of my stories. The crazy origami thrower slid in to try and knock Julia off her rhythm, but she didn't protect the face. Julia made a flip and smacked her jaw with the bamboo, gaining everyone's respect…except maybe Paper Star's.

. . .

Over on the barge in the Mediterranean. Carmen was alone in fighting El Topo, Le Chevre, and Mime Bomb. Carmen swung on a crane on the barge and with one spin on the crane, knocked Le Chevre and Mime Bomb overboard. She landed on a container where a nervous El Topo waited for her, only to quickly burrow inside of the seemingly empty container.

She had a standoff with Chase and Zari. "Freeze, La Femme Rouge!"

The two tried to grab Carmen, but she jumped away and the two ran into one another. Carmen was able to get away to safety as the barge made its way through the Atlantic, though the three V.I.L.E. operatives got away.

. . .

Julia sat in Stealth 101, now taught by Roundabout from a computer screen as he was still in MI6 over in London. "Stealth is more than being unseen, it's being undetected in every conceivable fashion." He explained. "You not only have to be a ghost, you have to make certain your enemy—"

"Never is aware of your true intentions!" Julia finished his sentence.

"Spot on, cadet Argent" he happily nodded. Julia looked over to see Tigress in the doorway, smiling.

. . .

Carmen's next caper was at a bank in Norway, where she was electronically syphoning money away from V.I.L.E. and over to her account, which would certainly anger everyone back home trying to desperately count the money.

Chase and Zari surprised her by jumping out of ventilation ducts. "You're under arrest, Sandiego!" Zari yelled, their stun guns trained on her.

"Snore" Carmen rolled her eyes. She smirked as the transaction was complete at that right moment. She turned and flashed the two of them with sneezing powder from her coat before making her escape.

. . .

Everyone at Carmen HQ was back to counting money. Vincent got an alert on his phone of Carmen's heist in Norway. The deposit had been made. "Are you kidding me!? She just added another 175 million dollars to the account!"

"Uggggggh!" came everyone's collective response.

. . .

The next class for Julia was Dr. Bellum. The mad doctor was still eating the Sour Patches Julia pilfered the previous evening while showing off the latest in V.I.L.E. technology. "Coach Brunt will insist on you using your body to get out of a jam while Countess Cleo will insist on you using your head to get out of a jam. I insist you use technology. I call this creation: The Giggler" it was a stun gun looking device. "One dart from this baby will make the victim fall all over themselves in uncontrollable laughter. I got the idea from watching Batman."

Julia took the weapon and made a few flips before hitting the practice dummy with darts, impressing Dr. Bellum.

"Excellent, Julia. Oh, we insist our operatives have a weapon that defines their personality, you may choose from our arsenal" Bellum insisted.

She led Julia into their weapons room, a massive warehouse of things that go pop, boom, slice, and fizz. Julia's eye was immediately drawn to two Kukri blades in Damascus steel. She picked them up and did a few poses.

"Kukri's, superb choice."

"My ancestors lived in China and herded sheep in the Himalayas, these were the weapons and tools they would have used" Julia explained.

"But I am certain they have much more…modern applications as well?" Bellum asked with a raised eyebrow. Julia smirked, and gave a nod.

. . .

On Carmen's next heist, she was again battling El Topo and Le Chevre. They were tasked with stealing ancient Greek artifacts from several ancient Greek landmarks. Le Chevre was hopping from column to column of an old Acropolis-like building and Carmen couldn't get to him. He leaped towards her. Carmen felt the ground beneath her rumble. She took one step aside just as the ground collapsed where she was standing, revealing El Topo. "Hey amigo, I—oh no!"

"You idiot!" Le Chevre yelled landing right on El Topo and the two tumbled into the hole he made. Carmen smirked and shook her head.

"And who says you can't learn anything from Looney Toons?" she asked sarcastically. She quickly made her getaway as Chase and Zari pulled up in an A.C.M.E. car. Carmen quickly ran up to it and punctured their tires before darting off into the night, leaving the agents stunned.

"Don't look at me, this was not my fault this time!" Chase insisted as they could hear the air his out of their wheels.

. . .

Julia was now with Professor Maelstrom. "We learn many ways to confuse our enemies, but in taking them head-on, one must find ways to psychologically torture them. We are after all animals at the end of the day and have similar instincts" Gunnar explained.

"You find where they are most vulnerable and recognize the one thing that will set your enemy to their worst instincts, that is when they are truly defeated. Everyone has an Achilles heel" Julia explained. Gunnar smirked wickedly. "Correct, Miss Argent."

Tigress was again in the background, giving her some claps.

. . .

Carmen's never ending V.I.L.E. stopping world tour took her next to Ireland, where Mime Bomb was alone in trying to steal the famed Blarney Stone. Carmen quickly intervened. Mime Bomb used his hands to point a fake bazooka at Carmen.

"Gun?" Mime Bomb shook his head. "Cannon?" Nope. "Bazooka?" on the nose. "Okay, so, where is it?" Mime Bomb patted his body down and shrugged realizing he didn't have one. "Buh-bye Mime Bomb" Carmen got out her grapple gun and shot it at Mime Bomb,, tying him up in the rope and then reversing it. Mime Bomb comically spun across the top of Blarney Castle before falling down the stairs. "Strike" Carmen smirked, retracting the rope to the gun. She tried to finish reattaching the large piece of limestone only to be quickly interrupted by Chase and Zari, where it looked like Carmen was trying to steal it.

"Don't move, Sandiego!"

"Wow, this definitely looks incriminating. Not what it looks like!" Carmen slid down the open hole to the castle grounds below, again alluding the dragnet.

. . .

Finally, Julia was now in Countess Cleo's classroom where she had a plethora of Egyptian urns with hieroglyphics on them, all looked priceless. She knew she could stump Julia…or could she?

"Right then. These are genuine Egyptian urns pilfered from King Tut's tomb, your task is—"

"Oh excuse me, Instructor Cleo?" Julia asked. "Um, these are all fake, except for that one there towards the end."

Cleo's mouth was slack jawed. "But-what? I haven't even—"

Julia got up and picked up the real urn. "You see, this was forced together as if by melting the bronze while these here were welded by a modern torch. Also the patina is perfectly adorned on the fake ones and is showing massive signs of aging on the real one here." Julia looked and saw Cleo completely speechless. "Oh, that was the lesson, wasn't it? I am so-so sorry."

. . .

SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA 2349 HOURS

-DAYS LATER-

As a tired Carmen entered her HQ after multiple days of solo missions the song faded. "Okay, you guys are done counting. I got this." She yawned.

"Like heck you do, you're tired, Carm." Zack said.

"No-no, I got this. Just let me rest my eyes." Carmen sat on the couch for a moment, and then her body went limp and she fell asleep.

"I know what that's like" Gypsy nodded.

"Come on, let's all turn in" Shadowsan insisted. He put a blanket around Carmen. Gypsy and Vincent took their leave while everyone else went to bed. Carmen would drift in and out of consciousness, but still didn't want to or have the strength to make it to her own bed. It had been days since her fight with Julia and something was still puzzling her even though she thought it was settled.

"Who did she mean by they?" she thought to herself before finally drifting off to sleep.

BATTLE CREEK MICHIGAN 1012 HOURS

The following day, Julia had a remarkable week of training. She was summoned to Cleo's room, which was a posh penthouse looking suite with many stolen artifacts within. Cleo was at a sewing machine, knitting Julia her battle suit.

"You requested me, Instructor Cleo?"

"Sit" she ordered, not even looking up. "Dash! More silk lining!" she called. "You know the colors!"

From a closet with many pallets of fabric within, Dash Haber walked out with a yard more. "Will this cover it?"

"It'll do. Julia, this is my protégé and hench-model: Dash Haber. Dash, this our newest recruit…and presumably Coach Brunt's latest protégé: Julia Argent."

Julia gulped, as it was Dash she tied up on the night she joined V.I.L.E…she hoped he wouldn't remember her. "Um, how do you do?"

"There's something familiar about you" Dash scratched his chin. "Did you study at the Fashion Institute?"

Julia let out a much needed breath. "Oh, no."

"Hmm, my mistake."

"That'll be all, Dash."

"Of course, Countess" Dash left the two alone. Except they weren't alone because Tigress appeared in the doorway.

"Don't you ever knock, Tigress?" Cleo asked.

"I just wanted to see how my bestie was doing" Tigress said, giving Julia a quick hug. From the back.

"Oh fine, stay" Cleo finally looked up. "I hope you realize, Julia, I have no intentional ill-will towards you. It's difficult for me to adjust to these new surroundings, especially when your former friend was the cause of our departure from our previous palace."

"I understand" Julia nodded. "But I am a different person now. I want nothing more than to take down Carmen Sandiego. And I relish in the opportunity to prove it to you."

"Well you might get your wish. I'm almost embarrassed to say it: but you have made the highest marks than any student we've had in the past. I've heard talk they're even bumping up your finals as there is little we can teach you. Are you sure you were always on the side of "good"?" Cleo asked. "Because you have taken to the role of villainy quite well."

"It's merely the skills I have learned at Interpol and A.C.M.E. but in reverse. But I am itching to put these skills into practical applications. And more importantly I want to gain your respect, Instructor."

"Then either put our former Black Sheep into the ground or bring her back here in chains so Dr. Bellum may do unspeakable things to her mind" Cleo smiled.

"With pleasure" Julia nodded wickedly.

"And that should do it" Cleo held up Julia's new outfit, the same one we saw in the flashforward…but something was missing. "Done. What do you think?"

"It is…remarkable, thank you."

"Oh my gosh! I knew why I was looking for you" Tigress remembered. "Brunt was wondering what your codename was gonna be."

"Oh, that's right. We here at V.I.L.E. use codenames to identify ourselves, surely you've had one picked out by now?" Cleo asked.

Julia stood up for a moment and pondered. She walked over to a pile of iron-on fabric, and picked a piece up. "How about: Lady Dragon" Tigress suggested.

"No, I was thinking more along the lines of: Egghead, or Mind Games, something that truly captures Julia's intellect" Cleo added.

Julia smirked. "No" she turned to face the both of them. "Marauder."


	5. Marauder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back by popular demand! Julia goes on her first caper as her new supervillain persona: Marauder and predictably gets one over on our red hatted heroine, while Carmen tries in vain to get Julia on her side and has some intense nightmares while Zack continues to fumble over the theme song, Ivy proves why you don't mess with her, while Chase Devineaux and Chief have a dramatic heart-to-heart.

SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA 0807 HOURS

Still on the couch laid Carmen. She had knocked off her fedora in her sleep but was sweating through he jacket. Her eyelids twitched as she was about to awaken. The loud sound of music was the culprit.

Gypsy and Vincent had gotten back to work, while blasting the full version of "You Keep Me Hangin' On" by Vanilla Fudge over a stereo.

As the song was picking up to its first verse (seriously, you can put this song before anything ominous happens, it's great) Carmen woke up, shooting her head up on the couch.

"No…no…Noooooo!" she panted, realizing her nightmare was only a dream, the song cut into its first verse while Gypsy was singing along.

"Set me free, why don't you babe! Get out my life, why don't you babe! You're real and don't want me! You just—"

Vincent then chimed in together with Gypsy "—Keep me hangin' on!"

Then they noticed Carmen. "Oh! You're awake" Gypsy announced.

"Finally, this is like the third loud song we've been playing" Vincent added, turning it down.

Still in her sweaty outfit, Carmen sauntered into the kitchen, pouring herself a glass of water, and taking out a bottle of Aleve before shoving three capsules into her face and chasing them with the water.

"Bad dream?" Carmen turned, and saw Shadowsan standing next to her.

"Something like that" Carmen sighed.

"What happened? Your mother?"

"No…much worse. I don't want to talk about it. Cause it literally makes no sense to me right now."

"Fine. Whenever you're ready."

Carmen started making herself a cup of espresso, with an uneasy feeling of guilt, dread, and uncertainty flowing through her. This would be broken up by Zack and Ivy, still in their pajamas, coming down for breakfast.

"Play some Boston!" Zack demanded. "Peace of Mind!"

Carmen feigned a smile and greeted her sibling partners in crime fighting. "I take it the money counting's been well?" Carmen asked.

"It's been a breeze" Ivy promised her.

"Just no more large deposits until we've broken down this pile of cash, huh?" Vincent plead.

"Can do. Sorry about that" Carmen assured him.

"You're doing okay, Carm?" Ivy asked. "You've been back-to-back solo missions for days now."

"Uh, yeah. I'm fine, thank you, Ivy. Hey, next mission, it'll be the three of us, I promise" she said, putting her arms around both of their shoulders. They smiled. Carmen was still uneasy, but at least she'd have her friends by her side this time…

BATTLE CREEK MICHIGAN 0933 HOURS

Julia paced around the outside of the faculty lounge…which you recall was not the foreboding office of its past, but was the former factory director's office. Julia paced nervously, still in her V.I.L.E. cadet uniform.

She stopped, seeing Tigress approach her. Julia blushed. "Aw, you're nervous" she said.

"A little. I haven't been this nervous about exams since University" Julia sighed.

"Don't worry, you did amazing in all your finals. Will it make you feel better if I tell you Carmen Sandiego failed Stealth 101?"

"I remember you saying she failed the final…be she flunked? Completely?"

"Oh yeah. Big time. I heard you literally schooled Countess Cleo at her own game."

"Well, I do know a thing or two about valuable works or art" Julia shrugged.

"Hey, you know she's your biggest roadblock, but I definitely believe you got this."

"Thank you, Tigress." Then, she heard Coach Brunt's voice from the other side of the door.

"Marauder! We're ready for you now!"

"I'll be here when you get out. I promise" Tigress assured her. She then wrapped her arms around Julia and gave her a big hug. She released, and Julia took one least deep breath and walked into the faculty lounge, the door closing behind her.

Inside was the terrible folding table, where now all five faculty members sat. Julia stood at attention while all eyes were on her. "Faculty" she said.

"Marauder. You know you are here for your individual evaluation, correct?" Gunnar asked.

"Yes, Professor Maelstrom."

"You are also aware that failure to pass any class will result in you having to repeat your lessons?" Cleo added.

"Yes, Instructor Cleo."

"Well then, shall we begin?" Gunnar asked rhetorically, as all the faculty had papers in front of them. "Your performances are extraordinary, young Marauder. I see why Coach Brunt chose you personally. My assurance of your loyalty was cemented your first evening at our lair, but you've proven yourself remarkably. In all my classes…A, with an A+ in deceptive psychology. I have never given an A+ to anyone before" Gunnar smiled. Julia smirked at the sound of that.

"A's for all mine, as well" Brunt smiled. "I'm so proud of you"

"Quite, you have a remarkable sense of agility and intelligence" Roundabout added. "I've trained the finest men and women in the art of espionage but you, Marauder, have bested them all. A as well."

"And your skills in the lab are sound. Our V.I.L.E. tech is safe in your hands. I give you an A+, the plus is for the Sour Patch kids" Bellum threw some more into her mouth and winced.

"Tongue still bleeding?" Brunt asked.

"Worth it" Bellum huffed.

"Anyway, I suppose it is all up to me?" Cleo asked. "You and I have had an understanding, Marauder. I must agree with Professor Maelstrom, I have not seen anyone quite so remarkably well-trained with your skills. I should hope you can stand and deliver when the time comes?" she said ominously.

"Absolutely, Instructor Cleo" Julia promised her.

She smiled. "Then you know already you have an A+ for my courses."

"That settles it, welcome to the ranks of the Villains International League of Evil, Marauder" Gunnar smirked, all faculty members clapped their hands. "Now normally we have our graduating class perform their first caper on the night of their graduation, but as you are our only student at the moment, it certainly isn't fitting to have you go out on your own."

"Is there anyone you had in mind to take with you, Lambkins?" Brunt asked.

Julia smirked.

A few moments later Julia exited while Tigress was waiting for her. "Well, how'd it go?" she asked.

"Did you have any plans for this afternoon?" Julia asked gleefully. Tigress smiled, knowing her question was answered.

"I'll clear my schedule."

SEATTLE WASHINGTON 1014 HOURS

A dejected Chase Devineaux was driving to work, passing Seattle's many hipster-laden roadblocks to A.C.M.E. HQ. After parking, and taking his briefcase with him, he walked over to his office, staring at Julia's empty desk, her chair still haphazardly perched out from under her desk when she aggressively left A.C.M.E. nearly a week ago.

Chase put his coffee and briefcase on his desk, and finally pushed Julia's chair underneath her computer table. He sighed. Turning his head, he saw Agent Zari already standing in the door of his office.

"It is just not the same without Agent Argent around" he sighed.

"I agree. She had a real jovial sense of life" Zari said with a sniffle…the most emotion were ever going to get out of her. "I am here, however, because—"

"I know-I know" Chase sighed. "Chief wants to see us."

Smash cut to Chief's office. Chase and Zari took their seats while Chief stood by drinking a cup of coffee before addressing her agents. "Any word from Agent Argent, Agent Devineaux?" Chief asked.

"No, Chief" he shook his head.

"I sure hope she's doing okay" Chief sighed. "But unfortunately, we're not running a feelings seminar, we're running a spy agency. You two have had at least four opportunities to arrest Carmen Sandiego and four times you've come up empty. However, as per her usual complexities; nothing was stolen."

"Other than money we may believe was transferred from an account at a Norwegian bank" Zari explained.

"Interesting" Chief pondered.

"We have tried numerous times to see where the accounts go to, but the red tape in the World Bank Group is impossible nowadays" Chase explained.

"Hmm, from what we've gathered, billions must've been taken from V.I.L.E. And Carmen's financial footprint doesn't seem to get any larger, what do you two seasoned agents suppose she is doing with it?"

"We've run several scenarios and concluded she's most likely laundering it" Zari explained.

"Billions? That could take years, depending on how many people she has working for her and to which accounts it's getting moved to" Chief countered.

But then Chase Devineaux got a smart thought. He thought about Julia, and how much he missed her…but not how badly he's always mistreated her because he's an outright narcissist. But a few things she once said finally made it past his ego.

"I remember something" he said. "If Carmen Sandiego returns anything that was stolen, what do you think she does with stolen money?"

"With all due respect, Agent Devineaux, I am in no mood for twenty questions" Chief groused.

"She can't merely return found money to its rightful owner. Money is insured, we have data that suggests this V.I.L.E. imports various goods, so financial transactions would be natural. If you cannot simply return money, and if Carmen Sandiego is a bleeding heart who supposedly isn't marauding charity auctions and diamond mines…she is giving that money away."

"Donations?" Zari asked in disbelief.

Chief paused for a moment. She—much like everyone else hated when Chase was right, or sounded right. She scratched her chin for a moment. "Well I'll be a son of a gun. A modern day Robin Hood."

"I'll contact our liaisons with the Treasury Department" Zari said, standing up.

"Yes, but how does that look? A spy agency which on paper doesn't exist has the IRS audit charities? She is good, I'll give her that."

"But Chief, if there is a paper trail, we will be one step closer to catching La Femme Rouge" Chase insisted.

Chief let out a heavy sigh and rubbed her temples. "Screw it, it's the best lead we've had in weeks" she turned to Chase. "You know Agent Devineaux, your week I gave you to catch Carmen Sandiego or risk your job is up."

"Buuuuut…" Chase smiled nervously.

"Honestly it was to motivate you. You've proven yourself worth of your gumshoe title. I'm putting you in charge of the operation, that gives you Special Agent status. It's a hard job but I trust you'll make us proud—"

Before Chase could effusively thank Chief for such an honor, another nameless A.C.M.E. agent barged in to her office. "Chief! Crime Net reports a situation brewing at the Smithsonian!"

Chief turned to Zari and Chase. "Get to work" she ordered.

SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA 1031 HOURS

Grunts. Groans. Punches. Carmen was in the gym of her HQ, sweaty profusely and punching her heavy bag. Requiem for A Dream by The Unfolding, a very loud scream-o song was blasted over the gym's stereo.

Carmen was slowly becoming more agitated with each punch. It was her dream. It was everything hitting her all at once. It was the way she treated Julia…and how her blind altruism was slowly becoming selfish. Carmen was realizing how much her identity was hinging on bringing down V.I.L.E., and how her divine mission lost her a friend.

She stopped punching and threw off her gloves, before moving on to a rack of free weights and picked up two fifteen pound dumbbells before doing some fly curls in front of the mirror, you know like everyone does at the gym.

This time Carmen was staring at herself in the mirror, and she didn't like the Latina staring back at her. After doing a few sets, she was becoming increasingly agitated. Maybe it was the back-to-back missions and lack of sleep taking its toll on her? Maybe it was the underlying fact she was robbed of a normal life? No, it was everything hitting her at once.

Carmen seethed with rage and launched one of the dumbbells into the mirror, leaving a huge crack in it, spiderwebbing out to other parts of it. It was in that unfortunate moment when the door to the gym opened, and Zack entered.

"Uh…" he stammered.

Carmen snapped out of it, not wanting to deflect her personal anger on the innocent Zack. "It's alright, Zack. I'm just…frustrated. What's up?"

"Uh, Player, he's uh, got a mission for us."

Carmen grabbed her towel, and wiped some sweat from her face. "Lay it on me."

She and Zack walked out into the main living room where Ivy and Shadowsan already waited. Their money was being laundered behind them. Player sat at his computer. "What's the job, Player?" Carmen asked.

"V.I.L.E. chatter. Something big is going on at The Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History. It's one of the many museums in the Smithsonian Institution located at the National Mall in your nation's capital: Washington D.C."

"Are they like, gonna steal the giant T-Rex, or something?" Ivy asked.

"I wouldn't put it past Dr. Bellum" Carmen agreed.

"No dinosaur, but a different type of treasure. A cursed treasure. The Hope Diamond. A massive diamond with a blue color noted for the trace amounts of boron within it. It is probably the most expensive diamond in the universe, but it has a sorted history."

"I've heard of this" Shadowsan interrupted. "Many of those who had the diamond in their possession died mysteriously around the time it left their care."

"Exactly. And according to the V.I.L.E. drive, I think that's their target."

"I say let 'em have it. If its cursed, maybe the curse will fall on V.I.L.E. and we won't have to lift a finger" Ivy shrugged.

"No" Carmen insisted. "Curse or no curse, we can't let it risk being in V.I.L.E.'s greedy little hands" she then turned to her redheaded comrades. "Besides, I thought you two wanted to go on a mission?"

"I mean, you know…" Zack shrugged.

"It's cursed and all…" Ivy added.

Carmen made a playful eyeroll. "Okay, well, if you choose to stay I'm sure Vincent and Gypsy would love some more help counting the money."

"So much help" Vincent added.

"I vote they stay" Gypsy raised his hand.

The twins gulped. "I could really use some fresh air" Ivy nervously chuckled.

"What's one little curse, right?" Zack shrugged.

"That's what I thought" Carmen smirked. "Let's move!"

They headed up the stairs to get ready for their next caper, taking them to the ivory building paradise that was Washington D.C. Capital of The United States of America and home to all the whiny bureaucrats whose sole purpose in life is to waste your money and turn you against your neighbor for no reason at all…ah, politics.

WASHINGTON D.C. 1340 HOURS

Chase and Zari had made it to the Smithsonian first, and were having the hardest time trying to find parking along the Mall, the large patch of greenery stretching from The Capitol building down to the Lincoln Memorial.

"Ah, Washington D.C. The place where we finally catch Carmen Sandiego" Chase proudly proclaimed.

"That was very smart, about where her money goes" Zari complimented.

"It is the only logical thing for her to do. Unless she has all the money in some giant warehouse somewhere and swims around in it like Scrooge McDuck" he shrugged. After finding an actual parking spot and not a red zone, the two stared across the mall to the museum.

"You've heard The Hope Diamond is cursed, correct?" Zari asked.

"Really? Perhaps we should let Carmen Sandiego hold onto it, maybe she'll slip up, and fall victim to our trap" Chase smiled.

"Which is?"

"Um…I, I'll have to think of one."

"Agent Argent is usually quick with the historical facts. I had to look this up on…ugh, Wikipedia" Zari winced.

ARLINGTON VIRGINIA SAME TIME

Exiting their private plane at a terminal at Ronald Reagan International Airport was a disguised Julia, followed by an equally disguised Tigress.

"What do you suppose she is doing right now?" Chase karmically asked in a voice over.

Tigress caught up with her. "Are you excited? Your first real caper."

"I've never been more ready for anything in my life, Tigress. I hope you don't believe in curses, because The Hope Diamond is perhaps the most ill-fated gemstone in the world."

"Curse, shmurse. I'm all about the hustle."

"I know."

As they entered the terminal, they past another gate, where they caught a fortuitous glimpse of something red exit the gangway. It was Carmen, along with Zack and Ivy. The three didn't seem to notice either of them.

"Well-well, someone else is racking the frequent flyer miles too" Tigress noticed. Julia scowled. But then her brain hatched an idea.

"I had a thought."

"Does it involve clawing their faces off?" Tigress asked.

"Not yet, but it will put Carmen Sandiego off her rhythm" Julia cryptically suggested. Tigress smirked.

"Meow. I like that."

"You go ahead of me, Tigress. I'll need to handle this alone."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'll meet up with you at Checkpoint Alpha" Julia assured her.

"Okay. Just, you know, be-be careful."

"Of course."

Tigress looked away awkwardly before moving in for a hug, and Julia smiled. It was a much longer hug than the two were so used to. Finally, Tigress released but as she did she caressed Julia's arm finally releasing at her hand. The two blushed and Tigress sneakily went on her way.

Julia smirked, and opened the only piece of luggage she brought with her, a briefcase containing two suits…her Marauder outfit, and her A.C.M.E. uniform.

Carmen, Zack and Ivy converged just outside the main terminal in the arrivals street. Nearby them was a street performer with an acoustic guitar giving a very spirited rendition of A Horse With No Name by America.

"We'll go get the rental, Carm" Zack reported.

"Alright, thanks guys" Carmen nodded before Zack and Ivy disappeared down the road towards the rental car terminal.

Carmen watched a few planes take off and land. The foreboding presence around Carmen seemed to grow. After some tense silence Carmen looked down and turned her head, she couldn't believe who she saw surreptitiously walking past her.

It was Julia! Clad in her A.C.M.E. duds. What luck? Carmen figured Julia was there for the V.I.L.E. heist. Carmen ran up to her. "Jules? Hey Jules!"

Carmen stopped Julia and put her hand on Julia's shoulder. She turned around and flashed Carmen a fairly wicked grin for a frame or two until it turned into her sweet smile, the one everyone was used to her having.

"Jules. It's me!" Carmen said happily.

"Hello Miss Sandiego."

"Hey, uh…how's everything been?" small-talk alert.

"Very well actually" Julia ominously stated. "Very well, indeed."

"Good. Good. I guess we're here for the same thing?" she asked.

"The Hope Diamond. Yes. I'm here doing some reconnaissance." Julia lied.

"I figured as much. Listen, I know we didn't leave on good terms last time we saw each other" Carmen said looking away.

"Oh, you mean when you essentially claimed I was not cut out to join your cause?" Julia asked, arms crossed.

"Right, yeah. And I'm sorry. I'm truly sorry, Jules. I've given it some thought, really I have, and it was selfish of me to put you in a box for my own gains. You're right, I could really use you in my crew. If you're still interested, my door's always open. What do you say?" Carmen asked. "You can start now, if you want?"

This admittedly threw Julia for a loop. Wow, that was fast. Hardly a week later and here Carmen was completely changing her position…the supposed position which propelled Julia into a life of crime to begin with. A piece of her wanted to throw cosh into the wind, forgive Carmen profusely and give her a big hug which was to say yes.

But there was something else keeping Julia from doing so…a few things, actually…one of those things might have been romantic in nature…but really, it was partially about revenge. Julia waited for this moment to come, and here it was. Julia held her head up high.

"No."

Carmen's face immediately soured. "What? No?"

"That's right. No. That was a once in a lifetime application, and I have rescinded it" Julia happily proclaimed. "I too have given this some thought and I have decided that I am quite happy at A.C.M.E. I have no plans on leaving it" she lied.

Carmen's face was almost slack-jawed. She couldn't believe this. Julia told her no!? But, she knew she would have to respect the decision. It's not like Carmen could force her into her life if she didn't want to be there…and there was a piece of Carmen that was content with Julia's decision.

"Um, o-okay. Well, I'm sorry it didn't work out" she shrugged. "I-I-I still hope we can work together?" Carmen suggested.

"Perhaps we will" Julia said before starting to backwards walk away. "Then again, perhaps we won't" she sneered before turning around, smirking wickedly.

Carmen watched Julia walk away, leaving her more confused. But there was one thing still bugging her, particularly about their last meeting that she needed answered…something that was still haunting Carmen. She ran up to her.

"Jules, wait!" she grabbed Julia by the arm. Julia partially turned her head. "Before you ran off, you said they were right about you. Who did you mean by they?"

Julia smirked. "Agent Devineaux of course, and the Chief" Julia lied, but ultimately placated Carmen's suspicions. "And I ignored them up until that point. I should hope you could prove me wrong" Julia sneered before walking off, once again leaving Carmen in her dust. The street performer picked up the temp on his guitar. A smirking Julia sung along as she walked.

"I've been through the desert on a horse with no name. It felt good to be out of the rain. In the desert, you can't remember your name. Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain. La-la-la-la-la-la. La-la-la-la-la-la."

WASHINGTON D.C. 1406 HOURS

Outside on The Mall, Chase and Zari were readying their terribly made A.C.M.E. weapons.

"I've alerted our units in the area, they'll be on location ASAP"

Chase was looking at the museum through a pair of binoculars, where his attention was drawn to something peculiar on the roof. "Make them double time it!"

"Why?" Zari asked.

"What else? La Femme Rouge…"

On the roof of the National Museum of Natural History, Carmen and Ivy were on top of one of the skylights, disabling the security system box right next to the opening. Zack must've been in their getaway car.

"And to think, she just blew you off!" Ivy complained. Carmen obviously already explaining her fortuitous run-in with Julia.

"Completely. To be honest Ives, she was kind of a jerk. If I didn't kind of deserve it, I'd be really annoyed."

"Well, at least you tried, Carmen. No harm, no foul." She shrugged.

"Right, you're right. Besides, we got something bigger in store right now."

"Yeah, like stopping V.I.L.E. from stealing the world's most cursed gemstone."

Carmen smiled as she had just finished disabling the skylight's security. She opened up the glass door. "We're in."

"Then let's do this thing" Ivy smiled, holding up some climbing rope.

Using some very complex repelling apparatuses, the two lowered themselves down into the museum, which had some of its lights on, but it seemed oddly and eerily empty, which didn't go unnoticed by Ivy.

"Hey, why is V.I.L.E. working in the middle of the day anyhow? And where's all the annoying tourists?"

"They cleared the place out. There was a security threat apparently" Carmen explained.

"Gee, I wonder who called that in?" Ivy asked rhetorically with a sarcastic eyeroll.

"If you have to ask…" Carmen chuckled. "According to the schematics Player got to us, we should be right over the diamond's exhibit—"

"—Aaaaaaand it's gone."

Ivy said this just as they lowered themselves just above the glass case which housed the cursed diamond. It was surrounded by a circle of overhead lights which the two repelled perfectly in the middle of, and they were staring at am empty display case.

"Oh no! Were too late" Carmen balked. She got over her phone. "Player! Hack in to all security feed in the area, see if anyone suspicious has—"

"Looking for this?"

The two looked further in the exhibit, and a figure came into the light, taunting the girls with the Hope Diamond, and now clad in her trademark V.I.L.E. mission gear.

"Tigress" the two sneered simultaneously.

"Well, at least we know where it is" Ivy shrugged.

"Along with the rest of the stolen gems" Carmen snarled, noting the other gemstones in the exhibit were also missing.

"Well, when you demand best, don't send the rest" Tigress chuckled.

"Figures they'd send the cat to do a dog's job" Carmen smirked.

"I agree!" came a voice echoing in the background.

"What was that?" a spooked Ivy asked.

Suddenly, a blade cuts through the air, instantly snipping away at the girls' rope. They exchanged mutual 'AH' faces before falling several feet to the tiled floors below. They got to their feet. The blade returned to the darkness like a boomerang.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha" Tigress chuckled. "Boy you two have no idea what you're in for."

Carmen and Ivy stood up. "What are you talking about? Who was that?" Carmen asked.

Suddenly, out of the darkness came another figure. Now clad in her outfit you've seen from the story's opener with her mask on was Marauder. Carmen and Ivy looked at this "new" villain with stoic concern.

"So, V.I.L.E.'s got a new knockaround in town, huh?" Ivy asked, punching her fist into her other palm.

"No, not quite" Marauder said with her voice scrambler activated. She took out three shuriken from her belt and without warning launched them at Ivy.

"Ivy, look out!" Carmen quickly tackled Ivy out of the way, the bladed stars just missing the redhead.

"Pathetic!" Tigress snickered. "Come on!" the two took off for the hallway.

"Let's go Ivy! Split up!"

"On it, Carm!" the two each took one side of the hallway, Ivy following Tigress, and Carmen, following Marauder.

Quick sidebar to the loading dock of the museum where Zack sat in the driver's seat of a rented plain white van, a style of automobile of which the team consistently used for their various capers. With a pen and Steno pad in hand Zack mulled over possible theme song ideas.

The boy was going over a few jingles in his brain. "Hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm, Carmen Sandiego, hmm-hmm-hmm" He tapped his pen against the steering wheel.

Back inside the museum, Ivy was rushing through the various exhibits until she came to the early civilization expose, it's where you find all the clay and wax replicas of cavepeople and early modern civilizations and such.

She had lost Tigress, or so she thought. Ivy looked thoroughly through each exhibit, coming across two cavepeople trying to light a fire while grilling up a giant chop of mutton. Mmm, mutton. She saw the cave person had one of those giant club-like pieces of tree they all used to bludgeon one another, you've seen movies. This one was probably fashioned out of plastic and fiberglass, but it gave Ivy an idea.

Tigress was hiding in a replica of a Mesopotamian dwelling. She stuck her head out of the door and saw no Ivy. She figured she had lost the redhead. "Huh, idiot" Tigress emerged from the scale model only to be smacked comically from behind by Ivy and her club. Tigress woozily fell to the floor.

"I am Ivy! Hear me roar!" she chuckled. She grabbed the diamond from Tigress and took her by the legs, dragging her barely conscious body away to be arrested.

Over to Carmen, she was pursuing this new and inquisitive V.I.L.E. operative, not having any idea she was in fact her now former friend Julia Argent. Carmen had found her way into the prehistoric exhibits, where the fiberglass and papier Mache dinosaur replicas stood for the eyes of over-eager tourists and their uninterested children to admire and take selfies in front of.

There was a silence. Carmen had thought she had lost Marauder, she looked up at a skylight and saw another plane fly past the view of the window up in the sky. Just then, Carmen was knocked down from behind. She looked up, seeing Marauder towering above her.

"Hello, Miss Sandiego" Marauder smirked.

"So you know who I am?" Carmen guessed. "Figures. You gonna tell me what your narcissistic alter ego is, or do I have to guess?" she stared at the 'M' on Marauder's chest. "Does it stand for monster? Malicious?"

"Marauder. A name you, Carmen Sandiego will learn to respect and fear!"

"Yawn" Carmen rolled her eyes and flipped up on her feet. "Look, whoever you really are, do you truly grasp the scope of what you're doing?" she asked as the two circled around one another.

"Funny, I was thinking the same thing" Marauder quipped.

"Hey, you're the criminal enterprise, not me!" Carmen snapped. "I'm here to right the wrongs done by years of V.I.L.E.'s presence in the world!"

"And what of your presence, hmm?" Marauder asked.

"D-Don't change the subject!" Carmen deflected. "This isn't about me!"

"Silly Sandiego, It's always been about you!"

Marauder slid to a slide kick, and knocked a surprised Carmen down, but not before socking her in the face just before sliding under. Marauder stood, leaving a stunned Carmen on the ground. But there was a commotion brewing.

Suddenly, she looked down the corridor to the central foyer, where the giant T-rex stood, and running into the museum, were Chase and Zari. "Freeze! Nobody move!"

"Devineaux!" Carmen called from the ground. "Get out of here!" she warned.

She got up and grabbed her stun taser from her jacket, attempting to charge Marauder, only for the new villain to do a spin and flip, throwing Carmen over her shoulder until she hit her face into a nearby wall. Marauder slowly approached her former colleagues.

"Should've protected the face" Marauder mocked her.

Chase and Zari predictably aimed their stun guns at Marauder who aggressively approached the two of them.

"Do not move, or—"

"Or what, Agent Devineaux? You'll shoot me?" Marauder asked.

"So, you know who I am, eh?"

"I've learned the identities of all my enemies. It comes from…burning the midnight oil" Marauder explained. "My name's Marauder, by the way."

"Why don't you take that mask off and face us!" Zari demanded.

"I will not do that, Agent Zari. But you're looking rather tired. Here…" Marauder unhooked a shuriken from her belt. "…Why don't you take a nap!"

She launched the throwing star right at the barrel of the gun, causing it to malfunction and explode in Zari's hands, spraying knockout gas everywhere and predictably, knocking her out. She fell to the floor.

"Agent Zari!" Chase called.

Marauder got out a kukri and threw it towards Chase, knocking the gun from his hand, and then the boomerang blade returned to Marauder's hands. Carmen had gotten off the wall and tried to side-swipe Marauder, but the wily new villain anticipated this and leaped, forcing Carmen to keep her slide and run in to Chase, knocking them both over.

"Friend of yours?" Chase asked Carmen.

"Nope" Carmen said dryly.

"It's fitting, seeing you both defeated" Marauder commented. "You both get what you deserve."

Carmen shot up and charged Marauder again. She got a few combinations this time, but Marauder fell to her back and took Carmen with her, throwing and kicking her when she was on her back into the T-rex display!

"Ugh!" recovery grunts.

Marauder got up and charged at Chase, getting a solid kick to his mid-section and knocking him into a glass exhibit case.

"Devineaux!" Carmen called. She ran over to the nearly knocked out A.C.M.E. agent. See, she does car. "Are you alright?"

Chase gave a faint thumbs up and slurred. "Three cheers…for Charles de Gaulle!" he then passed out. Carmen sighed of relief. He was okay. She turned around to see Marauder had vanished in the confusion.

Upstairs, a triumphant Ivy continued to drag Tigress, still a bit knocked out. They were coming to the atrium overlooking the main foyer where the carnage was going on. Ivy was approaching the railing where you could see the first floor open below.

"I wonder if you're afraid of water?" Ivy taunted Tigress. "I mean, you've already proven you can't land on your feet" she chuckled.

"Buzz off" Tigress slurred, barely awake.

"I'll buzz off when I can safely see bars between us. This is fun" Ivy stopped at the edge. "Yo, Carmen? You around? I found our little kitty friend here. And I got the diamond! Ha-ha, looks like the only curse around here is V.I.—"

No sooner could Ivy finish her sentence of karma but she was knocked down from her side. The diamond flew out of her pocket and slid towards a wraparound staircase to the first floor. Ivy looked above her and saw Marauder.

"Well-well, Carmen's little hench-monkey?"

"Hey! I'm no monkey! My brother on the other hand…-" Ivy couldn't finish before Marauder grabbed her by the collar and held her up. "Aw, crud!"

Tigress then fully awoke, fortunately her first non-blurry image wasn't the back of a police car, but was of Marauder. "Hey. You saved me."

"It was nothing. She is the one who will need saving" Marauder said ominously.

"Or, counter offer, we let the nice redhead go, and call it even?" Ivy shrugged. "No?" they both shook their heads. "Meh, worth a shot" Ivy sighed.

Over to the stairs. Carmen had in fact heard Ivy's calls and rushed up. Of course her eyes were greeted by the fallen cursed gemstone they sought after. Carmen smiled, she once again couldn't believe her luck…or was it bad luck?

"The diamond!" Carmen quickly picked it up. "Ivy! Ivy I got it! I—"

She stopped. Carmen looked down the wraparound atrium and slightly just out of reach was Marauder, holding Ivy precariously over the edge of the railing. Tigress had gotten on her feet too. Police sirens blared in the distance and grew louder.

"It seems you're in a bit of a predicament, Miss Sandiego" Marauder smirked.

"Let. Her. Go!" Carmen snapped.

"Oh, I will let her go, but I don't think you'll like the end of result of that" Marauder ominously motioned to the hard floors a story below them.

"I won't like it, either!" Ivy snapped.

"You're insane!" Carmen huffed. "This isn't a game! That's a person's life!"

"Yes, and that is merely a gemstone. A gemstone which has no life, no sentience, and is quite durable…young—I am sorry, what is your name?" Marauder broke her villain speech.

"Ivy."

"—Ivy here, is not so durable. Perhaps she'll be lucky and have a broken leg or a bad sprain…she could also land on her head…imagine that, won't you?"

"I say let her fall" Tigress smirked.

"But, this doesn't have to be all violence. Perhaps you and I can come to a certain understanding?" Marauder continued. "You hand me the Hope Diamond, and I gently let your partner fall to this floor here instead of dropping her to that floor down there. That sounds like a more-than-fair tradeoff, wouldn't you agree?"

"But…no" Carmen shook her head.

Wow. It took a lot to knock Carmen down mentally. Usually that dishonor was offered to Coach Brunt, and oftentimes in her nightmares. But this time, it was a new villain, offering Carmen the ultimate in ultimatums…if she gives them the gemstone, they get away with it…but if she keeps it, it could mean Ivy's life.

Carmen swore she would never gamble with someone's life after escaping from V.I.L.E. island. It was a really terrible option, but Carmen knew Ivy meant more to her than one diamond, one caper…besides, Ivy had a point, if it was cursed, better for the evildoers to suffer that cursed fate than them. Carmen sighed, and threw Marauder the diamond, and she made the catch like Cody Bellinger (GO DODGERS!)

"Good choice" A woman of her word, Marauder pulled Ivy from over the edge and threw her to the floor. "Come, Tigress" The two huddled close and Tigress threw a smoke pellet, and once the smoke cleared, they were gone, along with the jewels. Carmen and Ivy looked at one another.

"Carmen…what…the heck…just happened?" Ivy asked in disbelief.

"…I never thought I'd see the day…V.I.L.E. won" she said forebodingly. The two quickly got up and dashed out just as Capitol and D.C. police converged on the Museum.

Outside, Marauder and Tigress regrouped on the roof of another nearby museum. She took off her mask, being Julia once again. Tigress admired the diamond. "That was amazing."

"Thank you" Julia smiled.

"No, I mean it. Did you see the look on Carmen Sandiego's face when you gave her that ultimatum. I thought she was gonna cry!"

"That's how we defeat her, Tigress" Julia began. "We make her choose: it's either those she cares about: the underprivileged, or which ever thing she's stopping us from stealing."

"Genius. Why didn't we try and turn you earlier?" Tigress jumped for joy.

"Well, you have me now."

"I'm glad. My head still hurts from letting that little runt hit me, but it was worth it to watch the great Black Sheep writhe in agony! Gah! I'm so pumped up right now!" Tigress then grabbed Julia by her face. She stared for a moment before pulling her in for a brief kiss. The two released and blushed…it was only in the heat of the moment…right? "Um…we-w-we s-should probably go."

"Wait, there's one thing I need to do first" Julia insisted.

"I'll meet you at the airport. Countess Cleo is gonna freak when she sees these!"

Julia smiled and turned her attention to the police presence down below. But over to the van, Zack was speeding through the streets of D.C. In the back was Carmen and Ivy, still stunned over getting rooked by this new and seemingly experienced Marauder.

"Come on Senator What's-your-name, it's the one on the right!" Zack honked the horn.

"I can't believe it. I can't believe how easily she managed to make me choose" Carmen said almost robotically.

"Don't beat yourself over it, Carm" Ivy sighed. "It was my fault."

"It wasn't your fault, Ivy. You got sucker-punched."

"Kicked, but thanks all the same."

"Whoever this "Marauder" is, she's a dangerous psychopath" Carmen stewed.

"I'd say she's more a sociopath" Ivy shrugged.

"Really? With the semantics? The point is, if this is how she's gonna operate, we need to beef up our game plan or else we're finished."

"That's the Carmen I know!" Ivy gave her a thumbs up.

"And that's totally going in the theme song!" Zack added.

"Ugh, you with the theme song!" Ivy complained.

"Just as long as it isn't too schmaltzy" Carmen sighed happily. "You know you two are the greatest, right?"

"Darn right"

"And how! Now, do we still get ice cream?" Zack asked.

They continued down the road towards the airport, and not to the local ice creamery. But over to the museum, Julia was now in her A.C.M.E. uniform again. She saw an ambulance outside the museum where a still knocked out Zari had been loaded into. Chase was on a gurney, slightly conscious and being wheeled over to the ambulance.

Julia put on her best concerned face and ran over. "Agent Devineaux!?" She stopped the two paramedics from placing him into the back.

With an oxygen mask on his face, he looked over at his former partner. "M…miss Ar-gent?"

"My word, you look terrible! What happened?"

"What are you doing here? You're on vacation…or, something?"

"I am, I thought I would visit America's most prestigious museums" she lied.

Chase thought for a moment, but was in too much pain and figured this wasn't worth having a stroke over. "Yeah, that sounds like a you kind of vacation" he sighed. "When you return, our old enemy, you know the one…they have a new evil face."

"Clear a path!" Julia looked to see several A.C.M.E. agents approach the two, one ordered the paramedics to vacate.

"We'll handle this from here, your services are no longer needed" one said. He dropped his A.C.M.E. pen and activated Holo-chief; just as the paramedics walked away.

"Special Agent Devineaux! I just got the details, how badly are you hurt?"

"Special Agent?" Julia whispered with a raised eyebrow.

"Zari is banged up, Chief. Just some bruises and internal bleeding. I'll be back to normal in no time" He promised Chief, sounding more and more like himself.

"He's okay" Chief sighed. She turned her head and saw Julia. "Argent?"

"Yes. I was here on vacation visiting the Smithsonian and I happened upon this terrible crime scene."

Chief paused for a moment. She was smarter than Chase for sure, but; if there was ever a place to give Julia a rock solid alibi, it's a museum. "Yes, I could easily picture you calling this a vacation" Chief nodded.

"Chief, V.I.L.E. has a new villain, and she means business. I regret to inform you that Agent Zari and I could not recover the gemstones…not even Carmen Sandiego" Chase explained.

"What? Who is this new villain, Special Agent?" she asked. Julia grunted in disgust after hearing Chase's new title which she deduced obviously meant a promotion.

"Her name's…Marauder" he slurred.

"Well, when you and Zari are well, we will discuss a full debriefing" Chiefordered. "I'm so sorry Argent, it appears we're keeping you from your time off. How are you feeling by the way? I know we didn't end on good terms the last time. I do want you to be aware we are concerned about you." Chief asked.

"Oh, never better. I simply cannot wait to get back to work" Julia said, gripping Chase's hand. "But I just wanted to come and wish "Special" Agent Devineaux well. I shall return soon" Julia nodded before walking off, an evil smirk creeping on her face. This idea of her being feared was just the boost she needed.

SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA 1814 HOURS

It was somber at Carmen Brand Outerwear…not for Gypsy and Vincent who were still hard at work, but somber for everyone else. Carmen and Zack lazily sat in the living room, stewing over their failed mission. Shadowsan joined them.

"No, I don't know anyone at V.I.L.E. by that name" he explained. "She must've been added as a student after my departure."

"Well whoever she is, Carm's really worked up over it" Zack sighed.

"You have to understand, with her life, any loss to V.I.L.E. feels like a hundred losses. Make no mistake, from what you've explained to me, this Marauder is no joke. You should tread lightly. She clearly has no qualms about human life other than her own."

"Thank you, Sensei Obvious" Ivy groaned.

Just then, Carmen walked down the stairs. Everyone tried to be as chipper as they could, knowing full well she was hurting the most. "Carmen?" Ivy asked.

"How ya feelin' kid?" Gypsy asked.

"Oh, somewhere between miserable and lousy" Carmen shrugged.

"Hey, that's a notch above depressed and melancholy" Gypsy said, trying to cheer her up, which earned him a smack in the back of the head by Vincent.

"Carm, you should really lay down" Zack insisted.

"No. No. The last thing I want to do right now is sleep" Carmen assured them. "Look, I really need to be alone right now. I have way too much on my mind. How about everyone take the night off, and I'll count the money."

"But Carmen—"

"No buts, Vincent. I just really need to be alone right now. Why don't you guys go to the fanciest restaurant you can find, you deserve it, here" Carmen grabbed a ten thousand dollar stack of hundreds from the pile. "It's on V.I.L.E." she tossed the stack to Shadowsan.

"Really Carm?" Ivy asked.

"Really, Ivy. By the way, you both did great, all things considered."

"Thank you!" she gave Carmen a much needed hug.

"Let's try that steakhouse in Downtown! The sides are fifty dollars!" Zack boomed.

"Wherever it is, you two pranksters are ordering from the kids menu" Shadowsan half-joked.

"Says you! I'm getting the biggest tomahawk steak they have!" Ivy licked her lips.

"If you finish one half of it, I'll pay you one hundred dollars" Vincent groused, putting his hat on.

"You're on, Vinnie!" Everyone then headed out the door.

"You better leave a good tip!" Carmen called.

Carmen sat at the table alone. Too many things were swirling around in her head at once. Julia's rejection, losing to V.I.L.E. her nightmares, and of course Marauder, the new Bain of her existence. Carmen knew she would have to work extra hard to beat this new foe, but right now all she wanted to do was cry.

As a single tear rolled down her face, Carmen sniffled and wiped the tear away. She sat at the money counting machine, and ran a stack of bills through it, writing them down on the ledger on Vincent's iPad.

SEATTLE WASHINGTON 1953 HOURS

Chief sat in her office. A knock came at her door. "Entre" she called. It was Chase, limping but alright. His face scratched, and his right arm in a sling. "Special Agent Devineaux."

"Chief" he took a seat.

"I heard you were discharged. That's good."

"Yes. My back looks like a treasure map, and my arm is banged up, but I will be alright. Agent Zari is staying overnight, she inhaled a lot of the knockout gas, but I was assured she will recover quickly once she awakens."

"Good, excellent. So, this new villain, Marauder?"

"You mean, the devil?" chase asked rhetorically.

"Close enough. What is your report?"

"Well, as much as I would like to believe I can confirm with certainty that Carmen Sandiego and this Marauder are not exactly best friends."

"She's a mystery. Crime Net ran a sweep of every database and they came up with nothing. She's a ghost."

"Or a new adversary altogether" Chase deduced. "It seems like life was simpler at Interpol. Villains had only one goal in mind."

"I can relate" Chief stood up and walked over to a standing atlas near her desk. She opened the top revealing a bar. "You drink, Devineaux?"

"What's that expression? It is five o'clock somewhere."

Chief chuckled. She picked up a decanter with some brown liquor in it and poured two glasses. "Neat?"

"Absolutely."

"Good, that's the only way to drink good bourbon" she said, handing Chase his glass. "You ever have such a case where you literally didn't know what else to do?"

"Once. There was this politician in New Caledonia. He was the bleeding heart's bleeding heart. He would give his own wealth to the people, he was beloved by everyone" Chase explained. "But I always figured nobody could be so perfect. Everyone has a skeleton in their closet. So, my crew and I did some digging. I was a young agent at the time, barely out of the academy. We went through the man's financial records and it turns out he was making some shady dealings with some cartel associates we were trying to capture. It was unfortunate, but we knew what we had to do. He had moles in Interpol and saw us coming, there was a shootout between his associates and us, but I tried to get him a different way. When I confronted him it was merely the two of us, and I simply beat him to the draw. I often think had I not interfered, he'd still be alive and helping people, but he'd also be dealing with the cartels. I became very cynical after that, even when I was promoted to Inspector. And I think that is why I do not trust Carmen Sandiego" Chase finished.

"Wow, that's quite a story" Chief nodded. "I too had to fire my gun in the line of duty when I was at Interpol. It was at this time I first became associated with V.I.L.E. one of their key guys was slipping up, Dexter Wolfe. He wasn't just one of their key guys, but it made it more unfortunate that he was someone that I used to know, someone I used to work with. He was trying to get out of the organization, living in Argentina. It was my squad's task to bring him in. Well, we cornered him and I caught him trying to escape. It was dark, when I looked at him I thought he was reaching in his coat for a weapon, and I fired. Keys. I never forgave myself for that one, especially considering his house went up in flames moments later, everything destroyed. I then vowed I wouldn't let anyone from V.I.L.E. slip through my fingers again. And so, that's how we all have jobs here right now" Chief smiled. "Life's never easy, is it, Special Agent Devineaux?"

"And there is no instruction manual to go with it, either."

The two chuckled. "What should we drink to?" Chief asked.

"Law and order. May justice be done to those who desire it."

"Here-here" the two clanked glasses.

BATTLE CREEK MICHIGAN 2003 HOURS

Still clad in her Marauder outfit with no mask, Julia sat on top of the factory lair on a lawn chair, while a second one sat next to her. She was watching the sunset, proud of herself on her first heist. The silence was broken by the sound of someone coming onto the roof. It was a smiling Tigress, holding a wrapped gift.

"I thought you might be up here" she said

"I enjoy sunsets" Julia said.

"This seat taken?"

"It is now." She winked.

Tigress took the seat. "Everyone is abuzz about what you did today."

"How was Instructor Cleo's reaction?"

"Consider your feud with her settled" Tigress smiled.

"Good. I'm glad I met you, Tigress. You've turned out to be a good friend."

"Thanks" Tigress blushed. "Um, anyway, I uh, got this for you, the other day. Consider this my graduation present for you." She handed Julia the gift.

"You didn't have to go through that trouble."

"Well, I did. Open it."

Julia gently tore into the box and was stunned to reveal: "a Fabergé egg?"

"The real thing."

"But, but I thought you wanted them all?"

"Well, you did too. Fifty-six out of fifty-seven is still an impressive collection."

Julia smiled. She put the very generous gift down and reached to give Tigress a hug. The two released and admired the sunset together. "You really bring out a side in me I never knew I had. Even though we like, barely know each other" Tigress explained.

"I could say the same."

The two blushed and looked into each other's eyes for a few moments before looking back at the beautiful sunset. Their hands were held out. Slowly but surely, Tigress tried to move and grab Julia's hand but she recoiled. After a moment, Julia moved in and wrapped a few of her fingers around Tigress's.

While they watched the sunset, a car drove past them on the road blasting the actual version of A Horse With No Name.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do leave a comment with your suggestions and thanks for reading!


	6. Wicked Smaht

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this week's episode, Carmen tries to prove that she is not a toxic person by simultaneously stopping a V.I.L.E. plot solo while settling Zack and Ivy's debt, where Julia gets closer to Tigress—but not too close, while also learning more about her new villainous friends while V.I.L.E. gives Boston one more try at staking their claims there. Want some The Departed references? You got it!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I've taken some creative liberty with the backstories of the V.I.L.E. faculty and others, bare with me, this is fictional after all.

BATTLE CREEK MICHIGAN 2033 HOURS LOCAL TIME

In a mess area of the V.I.L.E. base, Tigress sat a table with baited breath while Julia was whipping up something on their stove. The platinum haired thief ogled Julia and blushed while she watched her work.

"You can cook too?"

"I'm a woman of many talents."

"Lucky me" Tigress muttered.

"Hmm?" Julia asked.

"Oh uh, nothing" Tigress blushed. Julia did the same. She got up and leaned against the counter next to Julia, stirring a pot of something delicious.

Julia had a hand on the edge of the counter while Tigress moved her own hand over hers, tapping her index finger on Julia's hand. The two turned and looked at one another, and it seemed like they were about to close the ap between them but—

"Mmm! I smell something incredible!" Tigress groaned, that voice belonged to El Topo who entered the kitchen carrying something; Le Chevre was right behind him.

"That's bouillabaisse, mon ami" Le Chevre explained.

"Good nose" Julia nodded. "Bouillabaisse is a classic French seafood stew."

"And it's a dinner for two" Tigress sneered at the two unwanted guests.

"I am French after all" Le Chevre commented, ignoring her. "From where do you hail from, Marauder?"

"I'm English actually, from Gloucestershire, but I've lived a lot in Normandy. I really enjoy French customs and cuisine. Yourself?"

"Ah, Normandy, lovely coast, rich in such romantic history" he continued, not answering Julia's question.

"Yeah I'm sure all the nineteen year old's in Higgins' boats were really thinking about the romance when they stormed the beaches there" Tigress sighed, wishing the two would take the hint and go away.

El Topo, trying to make his fruitless move sauntered up to Julia, revealing the thing he was holding was a freshly picked bouquet of...let's call them flowers.

"Marauder, as a token of our esteem from your first successful caper I wanted to give you these."

Julia looked quizzically at the flowers but didn't want to be rude. "Oh, um...thank you."

"Aren't those weeds?" Tigress snarked. "Like from behind the lair with all the rusted up cars?"

"Um...no" El Topo embarrassingly put the bouquet behind his back.

"Like where all the local stray dogs go to relieve themselves?" Tigress raised an eyebrow.

El Topo threw the weeds behind him, landing them in a trashcan and sat down at the table. While Tigress sighed as the borderline romantic tension had vanished, they looked to the other side of the kitchen at the other opening, where Paper Star stood, three origami stars between her fingers.

"Paper Star" Le Chevre nodded.

"Smells fishy" she said, taking a seat at the table.

"Then go where the fish aren't" Tigress gritted her teeth.

"It's boo-ya-bess" El Topo said butchering the name.

"Bouillabaisse, mon ami. Bouillabaisse" Le Chevre corrected them.

"Then what did I say?"

"It's delicious" Julia said, she mixed up a spoonful of sauce and picked the spoon out of the pan, she blew on it and put it in Tigress's face. "Try some."

"Okay" Tigress shrugged. She blew on the spoon a bit more before Julia putt he tip up to her lips and Tigress licked it up, this did not go unnoticed by Paper Star, who watched Tigress blush. "Delicious."

"I smell fish!"

They heard the familiar southern drawl of Coach Brunt from outside the kitchen. She entered and Tigress gave up on her and Julia having a nice moment. Brunt was now sporting one of the fancy necklaces from the diamond heist from earlier.

"Ah, Marauder" she ran up to Julia and gave her a very Coach Brunt hug. "I just wanted to congratulate you on your first heist. We're so proud."

"Thank...you" Julia wheezed in Brunt's large arms. She put her back down and turned to the three at the table.

"Ah, just the three expendables I was looking for" she began. "We're giving the city of Boston one last try, ever since our little Black Sheep ruined our money operations there, it's a synch buying up that prime real estate will prove difficult."

"But, you have a plan?" Le Chevre asked.

"If I didn't I wouldn't be here, would I?" Brunt asked condescendingly. "We went about it the wrong way with the counterfeit cash, so the faculty and I thought of a new approach. Question: what's the best way to bring down real estate prices, hmm?"

"Bad economy?" El Topo asked.

"Mismanaged local government?" Le Chevre shrugged.

"Stop thinking like college kids and more like criminals" Brunt hissed. "A gang war. Nothing makes the citizens of a city wanna get the heck outta dodge faster than local youths running around and causing mayhem."

Julia's ears perked. "Gang war?" she whispered to herself.

"Boston has a rich history of small-time street gangs, Whitey Bulger and so on. It's no secret that the Irish and the Italians in Boston have a sorted history, and times are tough, people make rash decisions, and you three are gonna capitalize on that" Brunt continued. "So, El Topo and Le Chevre, you're gonna take a hit on some known Irish gangsters and Paper Star is gonna do the same with the local La Cosa Nostra family. Ideally if you do it right and stay unseen, and make it simultaneous, the two will blame each other and start a war. Those building costs will fall faster than a dehydrated mule."

Julia then had a thought, her wheels started turning, and quickly thought of an alternative...in reality a much more sinister alternative. "Um, Coach Brunt, if um...I can make a counter offer?"

Everyone's eyes widened...no one, NO ONE contradicted a faculty member, especially Coach. Everyone waited in silence for Brunt to smash Julia's head into the wall, but instead. "Usually I'd break a first year for even saying those words...but you did get us these lovely gifts and made Black Sheep quiver in her boots. I'm all ears Lambkins."

Everyone was shocked. Undaunted, Julia continued. "What if we could bring the entire city to its knees and not cause any bloodshed?"

Coach Brunt crossed her arms, but smirked. "Go on?"

"True, a gang war could be effective, but in these strange times, younger people are drawn to more urbanized settings regardless of uncertain social climates, some thrive on that. We need to guarantee the city cannot withstand this, so I propose we hit them hard...say, destroying their gas and sewer lines. With no water and heat, the citizens will be forced to move out, drastically driving down the costs as the city will bankrupt itself fixing its newly found problems."

"On top of all the other issues" Brunt nodded, scratching her chin. "And we can be there to pick up the scraps for pennies on the dollar. Plus we got some influence in the plumbers and construction unions, we can hold the city hostage by forcing them to buy our contracts at a premium. I like it" she turned to the three. "I changed my mind. Go to our friend with the top hat in Malden and get all the TNT you can carry. Find the gas lines and El Topo, you'll dig down and plant the charges, then...boom."

"Yes, Coach Brunt" the three stood up and got down to work.

Tigress smirked and turned back to Julia, sure the moment was gone, but at least they would have their peaceful dinner together. "Nice work, Marauder" Coach Brunt winked before exiting herself.

SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA 2041 HOURS LOCAL TIME

Carmen joylessly counted the money while she assumed her comrades were yuking it up at some fancy steakhouse without her...but she wanted it that way. They deserved a night out, everyone had been working hard on the missions and on accounting their newly laundered money. Besides, Carmen would only bog their fun down with her demeanor.

Obviously a lot of things were making this uneasy for Carmen. Her nightmares, her fears, the unknown, the exhaustion, it was all hitting her at once. After realizing this was hard work and becoming mentally aghast as to how two near middle aged men had done so much by hand and on their own, Carmen decided to take a break.

She showered and dressed for bed, after brushing her teeth, she looked at herself in the mirror, literally being able to hear the noise of the lights overhead and the residual droplets of water from the recently used shower head.

Carmen stared at herself for a few moments, flashing back to Julia chastising her at their meeting in the Redwood Forest. "They were right about you!" It played over and over again in Carmen's head.

Finally, after hearing her constant words...and her words of rejection from earlier, Carmen snapped and punched her mirror.

"Gah!"

Which she instantly regretted. It didn't break, but it was ruined, having a spiderwebbed crack bulging out from the contact mark from Carmen's fist. This now being two mirrors in all of one day she ruined. Carmen looked at her knuckles, now bleeding.

"Ow! Not smart, Carmen" she sighed.

She quickly got out the first aid and bandaged up her right hand, some blood had stained the white cloth and Carmen kinda dug that look. It made her look tough. But as she finished, Player appeared on the television monitor in her room.

"Red!"

"Player."

Player raised an eyebrow, seeing the first aid kit and Carmen's hand. "Um, you okay?"

Carmen looked confused for a beat then realized he obviously meant her hand. "What? Oh, no I'm fine, it was from the mission" Carmen lied. "Everything's fine"

"You sure?"

"Absolutely. Are your hacker wheels turning or is this a social call?"

"Is it ever a social call?" Player asked.

"It can be, friends do talk to one another from time to time" she reminded him, sitting back down on her bed.

"Well I wish it was, but there's some V.I.L.E. chatter burning a hole in my hard drive, and this could be big, way bigger than the diamond."

Carmen glared. "Let me have it."

"Uh, maybe I should give it to Shadowsan. You, Zack, and Ivy have had a rough few missions."

"What are you saying?" Carmen asked defensively.

"No-no, look, I'm just saying—"

"We can handle it" Carmen assured him. "Mission please, wonderful computer genius."

"Okay, remember how V.I.L.E. was making counterfeit money in Boston?"

"How could I forget. Our first mission."

"Well, remember it was all about buying real estate? Well, it think they're gonna try again...only, I don't think they're gonna print any funny money this time."

"Well that's ominously cryptic."

"S'all I got" Player shrugged, taking a sip from a water bottle.

"Well, no one would be better suited for this than our favorite twins. I sent them out to dinner. It'd be a shame to have to—"

Carmen froze while her phone was in her hand, with a group text open to Zack and Ivy. Carmen stopped. Julia's bitter words again spilled into her head. No matter who they were, she figured it was Julia saying how Carmen was somehow evil, toxic, self-serving. Carmen was really trying to come to grips with her own altruism in all this.

She thought about how all her pursuits, though noble, had clearly been hurting...hurting Julia, and perhaps maybe even Zack and Ivy, who always acted like good little foot soldiers to the Latina. Sure, she had the HQ for no other reason than for Zack and Ivy to have a true place to call home, but she realized maybe she needed to do more. They were her friends. Carmen knew she wasn't a toxic person, right?

Her mind hatched a brilliant though convoluted and crazy plan...the best surprise she could give her Bostonian duo...peace of mind. She turned to Player. "Get me one ticket, Player."

Player did a spit take. "One? You're joking, right?"

"Do I look like I'm joking?"

"One ticket?"

"Yeah, one. You know, singular, as in the number preceding two?"

"I can count, Red! I mean why are you going alone? You don't know Boston, Zack and Ivy know every inch of that city. Probably have connections, too."

"Yeah, and there's a loan shark who wants to put them through what I hope is a proverbial meat grinder. I'm going alone. You know they're only gonna send a couple of agents anyhow."

"What if it's Marauder?" Player asked.

Carmen froze. Yeah, there was the fly in the ointment. Marauder, Carmen's new arch nemesis whom she had previously forgotten for a few moments while wallowing in self-pity. But, Carmen's resolve was in full swing. She didn't care, Marauder or not, she would succeed, come heck or high water.

"I don't care. Get it done" Carmen ordered.

"Okay" Player sighed and clicked away at his keyboard. "I got a private jet taking off in a half hour at San Diego International. It's a Concord, it'll get you there in one third of the time."

"Good."

"You sure you're sure about this?" Player asked.

"Never been more sure about anything in my life, Player" Extreme close-up. "I'm shipping up to Boston."

Of course this wouldn't be a chapter about Boston if Shipping up to Boston by Dropkick Murphys wasn't playing in the background...it's like a requirement. Anyway, while this happened, Carmen dressed not in her usual mission gear, but in her red hoodie and pants. She grabbed a large duffel bag and went downstairs. She looked at a pile of cash on one of the tables and filled the bag with it, zipping it up, which'll be a good cut to—

BOSTON MASSACHUSETTS 0032 HOURS

The song continued while we pan across the night sky of Bean-town. While traveling on a freeway headed towards Downtown, was a very nice Town Car, being driven by a recently touched down El Topo, obviously joined by Le Chevre, and Paper Star who sat in the back.

"Gang war would've been more fun" she pouted.

"I like this plan better. Has more gravitas" El Topo shrugged.

"Do you actually like it? Or do you like it because new girl came up with it, and you like new girl?" Paper Star asked, Le Chevre chuckled.

"Good burn, Paper Star."

"You like her too" she countered Le Chevre. He and El Topo looked at one another as the song faded.

"We cannot both like her, mon ami" Le Chevre insisted.

"I agree. We shall fight for Marauder's honor!"

"As soon as we finish our mission" the two shook hands. Paper Star rolled her eyes.

"What do you have against Marauder, anyway?" Le Chevre asked. "Is it because she beat you in training?"

"No" she spat. "There's something...off about her."

"There's something off about you" Le Chevre made a burn of his own.

"Fair, but...I don't know, there's just something about her I don't like. Who knows, maybe I'll get used to it. And don't bother with your stupid duel of honor, as much as I'd like to watch you two club each other you're wasting your time."

"What do you mean?" El Topo asked.

"She's not into you two...she's probably more into me."

The two stooges raised eyebrows. "What are you talking about?" Le Chevre asked.

"Have you two noticed Marauder is getting awfully chummy with Tigress?" Paper Star posited.

"They are friends. We are all friends." El Topo added.

"Oui."

"Crackle was our friend too, don't forget that" Paper Star continued. "No I mean, I think those two are more than friends."

"More than friends?" El Topo asked like a twelve year old.

"You know..." Paper Star held up her right hand and crossed her index and middle fingers together. Le Chevre finally did the math.

"Sacre bleu! How did I not see it!?"

"What, what is she saying?" El Topo asked.

"Tigress and Marauder...they are together!"

"Together like..." El Topo faded.

Le Chevre did a face palm. "They are lovers, Antonio!"

It took El Topo a moment but then the light bulb turned on. "Oh, that explains why she didn't like my flowers."

"Yeah, that's it" Le Chevre rolled his eyes in obvious sarcasm

"I didn't even know Tigress was capable of love" the mole boy added.

"Ditto. I never saw her smile when she wasn't stealing something" Paper Star piled on.

"They don't really go together" Le Chevre added. "But, at least now we know and can stop wasting our time."

"Si, of course" El Topo lied as he looked longingly out the window while they drove. He wasn't gonna give up so easily.

"You have to admit, she is pretty good at what she does. I mean, she did best Carmen Sandiego" Le Chevre said.

"True. I heard she made that little traitor choose between her precious partner or the diamonds, deliciously evil" Pape Star mused. "Maybe I'm jealous?"

"You think Carmen has a thing for that partner of hers? The girl?" El Topo asked.

"I don't know, why don't we ask her next time she is busy kicking us in the face" Le Chevre threw up his arms in defeat.

They continued on their way slightly north of Boston to the city of Malden.

Meanwhile, Carmen had found herself a taxi cab at Logan International Airport, as she didn't have time to wait for a ride share. Her driver, a late thirties lifelong Bostonian named Matty Hogan. Matty looked like a perfect Casey Affleck lookalike, only with his older brother Ben's Boston accent. He looked disheveled but that didn't stop him.

"Where to?" he asked.

"South Boston" Carmen said, patting her duffel bag which sat next to her.

"Wicked! Good ol' Southie, coming ap!" I'm intentionally misspelling some of his dialogue, that's how thick his accent is. "Where ya coming from?"

"San Diego" Carmen said. "I'm here to settle a debt"

"Get in line, lahtta people in 'round 'ere owe sahmethin to sahmebody."

"It's for a friend, actually." Carmen then looked about Matty's taxi. He had a crucifix hanging on the rearview with a dangling Irish flag next to it. Another ornament was a necklace where the pendant were two Beretta pistols intertwined.

"You know a thing or two about Boston?" Carmen asked.

"Waht? Ma ahccent naht 'nough for ya?"

"Where exactly are you from?"

"The Town."

"Charlestown?" Carmen raised an eyebrow.

"Tha's right."

Carmen scratched her chin. "Don't take this personally, but what do you know about any...shady dealings going around here?"

"Waht do ya wahnt? Gambling, ahrmed rahbbery, merder?"

"Loan sharks?" Carmen smirked.

"Be more specific" Matty urged her.

"Know a guy named...Shark Head Eddie?"

"That joker? You don't wahnna get mixed ap with him. Him and his crew ahe a real bunch a 'ead breaking guineas, pahdon ma French. He ain't in Southie no more, he went up to the North End. Very Eye-talian neighbuhhood."

"Oh, you know where he operates?" Carmen asked.

"Maybe."

"Then that's where I wanna go" Carmen assured him.

"You sure?"

"Absolutely" Carmen nodded seriously.

"S'your funeral" Matty got off an exit to another freeway, taking them north of Downtown to Boston's North End neighborhood.

BATTLE CREEK MICHIGAN 2341 HOURS

Julia yawned as she slipped into her night shirt and some pajama pants, the latter of which were provided by V.I.L.E. She briefly noticed her A.C.M.E. communicator pen sitting on the nightstand. Staring at it, she glared.

But she had other plans. She was in the makeshift media room (this new lair is gonna have a lot of makeshift things) where Julia sat on a couch facing a very large plasma screen TV...it was probably stolen.

The room itself looked like the living room in an old folks home as Countess Cleo was busy designing other rooms in the lair while Dr. Bellum doing the same with the electricity. But Julia didn't have time to ogle the undone scenery, for she had something else in which to ogle.

She turned her head to see Tigress standing in the doorway. She smiled, also in pajamas that featured a light t-shirt with CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY NORTHRIDGE emblazoned on the chest, and a pair of athletic short shorts. She hopped on the couch next to her "bestie".

"You look nice" Julia blushed.

"Thank you. You know, you really did a great job today. I mean that."

"Is it safe to say I am: V.I.L.E. material."

"Totally."

"Good. So, what shall we watch?" Julia asked.

"Let's see here..." Tigress walked over to a wooden shelf of DVD's. "Most of the stuff we have are crime films, you know, as teaching instruments" she explained looking through the shelf of gangster films, thrillers, and action flicks. "Ooh, here we go: The Departed."

"Never seen it."

"Oh you'll love it. Leo DiCaprio's in this and he is way the cutest" Tigress swooned. "I mean, you know, he's pretty good" Tigress slipped the DVD in and hopped right next to Julia, with her arm over Julia's shoulder.

Julia looked into Tigress's eyes as the various obligatory FBI warnings of piracy and such played. "It's so hard to believe you started out as a shoplifter."

"Yeah well, now I got this gig. I wouldn't trade it for anything. Besides, you started out as a boring goodie two shoes."

"You know, it was you who told me I was a sucker" Julia looked right into Tigress's baby blue eyes. "I mean what I said, it was you who really brought me on this path. I actually thought of joining Carmen. There was nothing for me at A.C.M.E. but I thought maybe with her things would be different, and turns out you were all right. She only wanted me at A.C.M.E. to help her causes. That's when I realized I was a sucker, someone who could be taken a fool of. No more. Julia Argent is nobody's fool" she sneered.

For a moment she thought Tigress would be suspicious that she admitted she wanted to be in Carmen's crew moments before joining V.I.L.E., but instead she reached out a hand and cupped Julia's chin, while the English-Asian blushed.

"You don't have to worry about her or A.C.M.E. anymore" Tigress moved her hand down Julia's shoulder while Julia leaned in. But of course, right before anything could happen, this did—

"Ah, Martin Scorsese" It was Gunnar, entering the media room from another door, effectively ruining their moment.

"Hey, Professor Maelstrom" Tigress scoffed, crossing her arms. Julia wasn't as miffed, but she wasn't exactly thrilled their second potential moment together was nullified.

"The king of the gangster movie. If only we could get him to teach some classes" Gunnar continued, watching the opening scene of the film featuring Jack Nicholson's monologue and introduction while Gimme Shelter plays in the background.

"Good evening, professor" Julia nodded, trying to be more cordial than her potential paramour.

Gunnar took a seat in a nearby Barcalounger not realizing he was an uninvited guest to this movie date. "Marauder, I have not personally congratulated you on your job well done" He moved his blazer sleeve up revealing a jeweled watch from the stolen gems.

"Why thank you."

"You both should be very proud. Any time Carmen Sandiego is knocked down is good day in our books."

"Couldn't have done it without her" Tigress said, Julia blushed.

"I'm really interested in stealing something else, anything else."

"How does robbing the Vatican grab you? Because we can arrange that" Gunnar smiled. The two girls also smiled.

"How did someone with your credentials get started in this industry, professor?" Julia asked.

"Good question. You remember that terrible book that became a movie where there's a serial killer who puts his victims inside of snowmen?"

"Wonderful book" Julia remembered.

"Where do you think the author found the inspiration?" Gunnar chuckled sinisterly.

The girls looked eerily at one another.

"Oh."

"Interesting."

"And that is why nobody crosses me" He added, then immediately changing his mood when looking at the film. "How did Mark Wahlberg earn an Oscar nomination for that role? It's beyond me."

The girls innocently went back to watching the film, now knowing a piece of Gunnar's backstory they wished they hadn't.

BOSTON MASSACHUSETTS 0101 HOURS

Matty's taxi weaved through the confusing maze of streets through the ancient North End, finally coming to an Italian restaurant on the corner of a street. Carmen looked inside, it looked a bit dim, but there were definitely people within.

"Alright, 'ere it is. Him and his boys ahe prahbly playin' pokuh or sahmethin" Matty explained.

"Perfect, you've been a big help" Carmen said, handing Matty a wad of cash. She slung the bag over her shoulder and got out of the car, but Matty stopped her.

"Wait! Hold up a sec!" Carmen walked over to his passenger's seat. "Ya strapped?"

"No. You picked me up from the Airport."

"So, ya goin' into Eddie's terruhtory, ahlone, and all ya got is waht? Cahsh? Ain't exactly wicked smaht if ya ask me."

"I can take care of myself" Carmen assured him. "I happen to be very wicked smart" she then glanced down to her bandaged knuckles...which was done in a very un-wicked smart move.

"'Ere" Matty opened up his glove box, and Carmen looked shook as a pistol fell onto the seat. "Smith & Wesson M&P Shield. Shoots forty-five ACP. Packs a punch."

"Are you joking? I'm not taking that."

"Yer goin' inta Shahk 'ead freakin' Eddie's place not pahckin' heat you're eithuh stupid or stupiduh."

"Shark Head Eddie never met me. I'm very persuasive" Carmen crossed her arms.

"Look, ya seem like a good kid. I'd 'ate ta read ya obituary tamarruh. They'll be findin' ya bahdy pahts from the hahbuh all the way down to The Cape." He said. Carmen still stood there skeptical. She was about to leave. "Look, it's bettuh ta 'ave a gun and naht need it, then need a gun and naht have it. If it gets hairy, wave it arahnd, pay ya friend's debt and beat it, no one gets hurt, especially you."

Carmen stopped and sighed. She didn't want to take that gun from Matty's passenger seat, but; he certainly knew Eddie more than she did. And from what she knew about him from the twins and her cabbie was he liked to break breadsticks...and possibly legs.

She knew she was formidable, but she had no clue what Eddie would do, or how many people he had with him. It was made more difficult by the fact that she was alone and no one could get to her in a fast amount of time. Carmen was reaping what she sowed with the solo mission.

It was against her better judgement but she reached in and picked up the modern everyday carry pistol. "Fine" she said.

"Six in the mag plus one in the chambuh makes seven. Need a crash course on how ta use it?"

"I'll manage. Think you can wait for me? I don't know how long I'll be?"

"Not in this neighbuhhood, Eddie and I ain't exahctly on speaking terms, eithuh. Besides, I'm close to The Town."

"I understand" Carmen nodded.

"Go ta the back, four knocks, one second ahpaht, then knock ta shave and a 'aircut. When the door is answered, the pahsswuhd is: Hammuhhead."

"Got it, what do you want me to do with this?" Carmen asked about the gun. "When I'm done?"

"Toss it in the hahbuh for all I care. Serial numbuhs are scrubbed off, can't be traced. This is how I hustle."

"You ever consider leaving it?" Carmen asked.

"Maybe, maybe not. Maybe forget yaself" he smirked.

Carmen playfully rolled her eyes. "Take care, Matty Hogan."

"You too, Cahmen Sandiego" he nodded before speeding away.

Carmen sighed. She stuck the gun in her pants behind her leaving the handle sticking up while her hoodie covered up this part effectively concealing it. She put on her hood and headed for the back.

Which was a dank alleyway behind the restaurant. Carmen saw the steel door with a speakeasy slit towards the top of the door. With one more deep breath Carmen walked towards the door, making the knocks as per Matty's instructions. While Carmen waited for someone she thought to herself: this was for Zack and Ivy.

The slit opened up and two cold eyes beamed at Carmen. "Were closed" he said in a thick voice.

"Hammerhead" Carmen deadpanned.

"Hold on" the slit closed but Carmen could hear the same voice on the inside yell: "Yo boss? You expecting somebody...I dunno, a chick or somethin'." Carmen sighed while she impatiently tapped her foot. The longer she waited, the longer she ran the risk of V.I.L.E. accomplishing whatever diabolical deed they planned on. "Yeah, she's pretty hot, I'd say." Carmen grunted, it was gonna be one of these meetings. She then heard the muffled sounds of tumblers being unlocked and the door was opened moments later.

The voice belonged to a balding man, ultra-muscular, with a tight black shirt and jeans. "Make it quick" he demanded.

Carmen nodded and followed the man inside, the door closing behind her.

BATTLE CREEK MICHIGAN 0252 HOURS

The movie was nearly over, with its plot twisting climax...you know, where everyone except Mark Wahlberg dies. (He totally deserved the Oscar nod) Julia was listening to Gunnar explain his exploits pre-V.I.L.E., and none of them pleasant.

"And that was how I eliminated my twenty-second victim...or...or was it my twenty-third? There was so many it's hard to keep track."

An unnerved Julia nodded. "That's very interesting."

"Jimmy Hoffa was still my favorite, though" Gunnar chuckled. "It's so fitting actually to be back in Michigan again."

"Mystery solved" Julia muttered to herself nervously.

"Oh, listen to me, it appears I've spoiled your movie, my deepest apologies."

"No, it was an enlightening chat, thank you Professor Maelstrom" Julia smiled.

"You're quite welcome. When our next mission is available, you'll be the first to know, you should return to A.C.M.E. soon, Marauder, to act as our informant."

"Day after next" Julia promised him.

"Excellent" Gunnar then got up and took his leave.

Julia turned to Tigress, now gently snoring. The Asian smiled, and picked her up bridal style. Julia grunted while trying to walk with the sleeping Tigress towards her room. About halfway, she grew tired and was almost about to drop her sleeping "Bestie". But she was about to get some much needed help.

"Did she fall asleep in the movie?" Julia turned her head to see Coach Brunt, wearing a sleeping gown and cap march towards them.

"She needed sleep" Julia grunted.

"Looks like you could use some help, we'll try the firefighters carry" Brunt said. "On three, one...two...three" she grabbed Tigress by one leg and shoulder while Julia carried her by the other. Tigress never woke up.

"Thank you, Coach Brunt."

"My pleasure. Almost like wrastlin' cattle back home."

"You're from Texas, no?"

"Lubbock born and raised."

"I've never been to Texas. What's it like?" Julia asked.

"Best place on Earth, that's what" Brunt commented. "It's like...it's like that first bite into a perfectly grilled porterhouse cooked over mesquite while some pulled pork is in a smoker right next to it...that's Texas."

"Cattle ranches are big there, I take it?"

"Of course, I grew up on one. My daddy's ranch got hit with a bad dust storm when I was around your age. To make up I started to take our neighbors cows and started to raise 'em as our own. I guess that's where my life really began. Started out stealing cattle—and that's how I got to be this big, gotta adapt when you're pushing an animal four times your weight. Then I moved onto being muscle for hired guns and thieves. Met Countess Cleo and a long dead faculty member named Dexter Wolfe on a heist and the rest was history."

They then made it to Tigress's room while Brunt continued with her backstory. "Long dead?" Julia asked.

"He was gonna leave us. And we're like a family Marauder, like I told you, you never turn your back on family. Never." They laid Tigress in her bed, fast asleep.

"That's all, he just wanted to leave?"

"Well, he was starting to move our assets into bank accounts so that wasn't exactly wise on his part...oh, you'll love this" Brunt continued. "He had a double life apparently, not unlike yours..."

Julia's eyes went wide for a tense moment. Thinking maybe Brunt was making a passive threat. "What do you mean? I swore allegiance to V.I.L.E."

"Well, I guess not like yours, but he was planning on leaving and possibly turning us into the authorities, you're the literal opposite."

Julia sighed of relief, figuring Brunt's tone meant they were already growing tired of her. "I thought you suddenly meant I'd be expendable."

"Oh shucks no" Brunt pulled the blanket over Tigress. "I meant, he was leading a completely double life. He was a father. His wife died apparently not long before him."

"And the child?" Julia asked.

"Let's just say...it was an old friend of ours" Brunt gave a wink before leaving.

Julia stood there for a moment. But her brain wheels always turning her eyes went wide once more, suddenly realizing what Brunt's cryptic statement actually meant. "My God...Carmen Sandiego..."

"What about her?"

Julia turned to the doorway and saw Dr. Bellum walking past, still in her lab gear and eating from one of the bags of Sour Patch Kids.

"Dr. Bellum" Julia nodded.

"Tigress could sleep through a monsoon" Bellum commented walking into the room just as Tigress made a loud snore. "Now, what was this about Carmen Sandiego? I heard you speaking with Coach Brunt."

"She had told me about a deceased faculty member named Dexter Wolfe" Julia explained.

"Ah yes, The Wolf of V.I.L.E. Street" Bellum said. "He is Carmen's father, and the reason in a long list of domino effects as to why Roundabout now teaches about stealth and thievery. I could talk your ear off about The Wolf."

Julia then had a thought, a very evil thought. She scratched her chin, realizing this would be the perfect way to take down her new enemy who was once a good friend. She nodded. "Absolutely."

"I am finishing up work in the lab on a new piece of technology, you're welcome to join me" Bellum insisted.

"I'll be right there" Julia bowed before snickering. She turned and rubbed Tigress's sleepy hair. "For this, my dear is how we will defeat our pesky enemy in red" She then gave Tigress a forehead kiss before turning her lights out, and joining Dr. Bellum in the lab.

BOSTON MASSACHUSETTS 0120 HOURS

Carmen had her hood up as she walked down the corridor of the back of the restaurant, which had a couple freezers with meet hanging on hooks, which looked like an ominous reference to any mob movie.

The bouncer took Carmen to the back room where a high stakes poker game was in progress. It featured many rejected Sopranos extras and wannabe wise guys alike. They all had a drink next to their pile of chips on the green card table with the swinging lamp overhead, but they also all had a cigarette or a cigar in one hand.

Only one man was eating, and that was our guy: Shark Head Eddie, sporting a suit instead of the bowling shirt he had in The Boston Tea Party Caper. Carmen got a good look at the man, he was exactly how Zack and Ivy described him.

The bouncer whispered into Eddie's ear. He had a cigar resting in an ashtray while a big bowl of pasta sat next to him. He had his face and facial hair covered in sauce. The bouncer finished talking and Eddie looked up at Carmen, while all eyes had turned on her.

"Is it Girl Scout cookie season already?" Eddie quipped in a thick accent.

"Heh-heh, good one boss" A Joey Pants lookalike at the table sycophantically laughed.

"Shut-up, Bobby. I know I'm funny" Eddie snapped.

"I'm not selling anything" Carmen said, sounding as tough as possible. "I'm settling a debt."

"A debt?" Eddie asked, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "Listen dollface, lotta people owe me money, but I'd think I'd remember a face like yours. Refresh my memory."

"A while back you loaned two friends of mine, two redheads, money for a racecar." Carmen explained, taking one step forward.

"Ah, that's what they call a palindrome" Another mobster, a Michael Imperioli facsimile at the table interjected...only to get looks from everyone. He took a drag from his cigarette. The guy next to him slapped him in the back of the head.

"Continue" Eddie condescendingly flipped his hand at Carmen.

"Well they crashed that car and you urged them to rob a doughnut shop in South Boston, and then they vanished. Ring any bells?"

"Gee, two redheads in Boston? "Eddie condescendingly quipped. "That narrows it down." He then looked at his associates who were silent. "That's a joke you idiots, laugh!" forced laughter filled the room. "My point is, they got names?"

"Twins, Zack and Ivy" Carmen continued.

"Twins huh..." Eddie scratched his marinara sauce stained chin...then it came to him. "Oh yeah!" He got a throwing knife from inside his coat and chucked it towards Carmen, who ducked just in time.

Carmen looked behind her, seeing a large dart board on the wall with many pictures on it, as well as some knives also shoved on it. A placard in poorly written handwriting above the board read: WHERE'S MY MONEY!? Carmen gulped as the knife had landed right in the center of a picture of the twins.

"Those two freeloading micks skipped town and tried to filch me? I'll feed 'em to the lions at the zoo—no, no-no, that's too good for them. And why have the lions suffer at their antics when I could...I-I could..." he then looked around. "Well come on, we're all in This Thing Of Ours, get creative!"

"Um...we could dip them in acid?" Bobby said.

"Nah-nah, too Breaking Bad. Also, acid smells weird. Moose, what do you got?" Eddie turned to a large fellow sitting at the table.

"Oh um...c-can I finish my sub first?"

"Shove it where the sun don't shine! Tommy, gimme something" He turned to the palindrome guy.

"I mean I'm quite partial to a good old fashioned drive by."

"Too much collateral damage, I'm not a monster. Carlo, how do we kill those two?" you can't make this comedy up.

"We make their racecar explode in their next race."

"I like where your head's at, but the car's toast, that's why we're having this conversation—work on it." He turned to another guy. "Angelo, make me happy."

"Two words: death by tsunami."

"First of all: that's three words, and second of all: you're an idiot. Two gun Timmy—"

"Hey!" an exasperated Carmen interrupted the dark comedy routine in front of her. "Or, instead of finding very disturbing ways to eliminate them, how about I settle their debt?"

"Really?" Eddie raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry to disappoint, but this bag isn't filled with cookies" Carmen smirked. Snickers and chuckles filled the back room.

"Shove It, that wasn't funny" Eddie crossed his arms. "Moose, get up for the lady"

"But I just started eatin'."

"Yer gonna be eatin' yer teeth in a minute if ya don't get up!" Eddie warned.

Moose gulped and stood up with his sandwich, ushering Carmen over to the seat.

"Um thank you...Moose" she plopped the bag in the center of the table. She unzippered it, revealing it filled with bills. "Count it" Carmen smirked. "Should be more than enough."

"We'll see about that. Tommy, count this" He tossed the bag to Tommy.

"On it, boss."

"Bobby, get my ledger."

"My pleasure, boss." Bobby got up and quickly ran to an office and returned moments later with a leather bound ledger, and a pair of reading glasses. Eddie put them on and scanned through a few pages.

"Let me see here...Zack...Ivy...Zack-Ivy...Z—here we go. Loaned Zack and Ivy $145,000 U.S dollars."

"Perfect" Carmen smiled, knowing that had to have been enough. "I'll expect change, or maybe donate it to a worthy cause and make my life easier. I recommend Beautifying Boston."

"We'll see about that" Eddie said dryly.

Tommy returned moments later. "$573,500."

"My work here is done" Carmen said happily.

"Hold your horses there, sweetheart, by my calculations, it ain't enough" Eddie said sharply.

Carmen's smile immediately faded. "What? That's almost triple what they owe you!"

"Yeah but you forget, that was the money that was owed, there's still the vig, of which they have an outstanding balance of" he continued. "By my accountant's calculations—"

"I'm the accountant."

"Shut-up, Tommy! Anyway, by my calculations with the principle interest and the cost of inflation, you are short exactly..." he snapped his fingers to Tommy.

"Oh, $110, 458 and 78 cents."

"WHAT!" Carmen boomed. "What kind of interest are you charging them!?"

"I'm a loan shark, not a bank" Eddie deadpanned.

"You can't be serious? I am handing you more than double what they owe!"

"And because of the interest, they're short."

Carmen did an exasperated face palm. She knew Zack and Ivy made questionable decisions in their past, but betting it all to a vicious and unfunny loan shark with a stupid haircut at exorbitantly criminal interest rates was the granddaddy of all their suspect life choices.

Annoyed, Carmen dug into her pocket and threw a wad of cash on the table. "Here, I have—two hundred thirty five dollars..." she dug some coins from her pants. "And fifty three cents!"

"You're still short by—"

"I know I'm short!" Carmen snapped slamming her fists on the table. "That's not the point, that's all the money I have."

"Well, you're short, come back when you have the rest...and bring extra, they'll be more vig" Eddie ominously explained.

"I can get you more. I can wire more to you right now" Carmen assured them.

"Oh! Easy there John D. Rockefeller, the feds've got us under a microscope, do you have any idea the attention a large wire transfer like that would draw?" he asked.

"Then let me go home and I'll be back first thing in the morning" Carmen begged. "I'll get the money, I promise."

"Yeah, I've heard that one before."

The boys smirked and each approached Carmen. The Latina saw them. Some brandished brass knuckles from inside their jacket pockets while others got out clubs, or baseball bats, or large meat cutting knives.

"You know, maybe there's another way you can work off their debts" Eddie said, putting out his cigar.

"Other ways, huh?" Carmen rolled her eyes, having a few perverted ideas.

"Or maybe we can see where exactly you get your money from...or where Zack and Ivy are hiding out. Grab her, Moose!"

"With pleasure."

As Moose moved to grab Carmen by the shoulder, she smacked him in the face, and Moose hit the card table hard. Carmen quickly got up and hit her head on the swinging lamp, and it swung about, causing a cool lighting effect. As the boys swarmed in, Carmen flipped and drop kicked Bobby in the face.

"Will somebody get this chick, already!"

"On it, boss!"

She then did a roll but was pinned by Carlo to a wall. Carmen head butted him after he tried to punch her in the face. Carmen recovered and saw that the mobsters had her covered. With no other option, Carmen rolled under Tommy to get some distance knocking him over before recovering to her feet and grabbing the gun from behind her, pointing it at the mobsters, totally out of options.

Huh, maybe she shouldn't have went alone after all? Boy did she hate it when Player was right...which was a lot of the time. Anyway, Eddie and the others were dumbfounded at their new predicament. The swinging light effect would really make this scene look cooler if it were real.

"Ah jeez, she's got a heater!" Eddie complained. "And nobody thought to pat her down before she came in here?"

"She's a woman, boss, I didn't think I needed to" The bouncer said.

"What, women don't carry guns you misogynist moron? I've had it with this! Somebody waste her!" The mob guys shrugged. "What? Nobody's got a gun? Nobody? B-Bobby?"

Bobby was slow to get up. "I left it at home, boss."

"Carlo?"

"I don't like guns."

"Moose—no, he's pretty knocked out—Angelo?"

"My wife's cleaning my guns."

"What about your other guns?" Eddie asked.

"I think my cumare is cleaning those."

"Two Gun Timmy?"

He patted himself. "I-I left them in the car I think, boss."

"Your name is Two-Gun-Timmy! We call you that because you have two guns! What good are you to me with zero guns? What are we supposed to call you now? Zero Guns Loser?"

"HEY!" Carmen screamed, out of patience and nearly out of time. "It looks as though you guys are in a predicament, and I'll bet I have a very shaky trigger finger" she said ominously. "It would be a shame if we had to test that out...but, I could see myself walking out of here—"

Suddenly, she got a call over her communicator. She groaned, having one hand with the gun, she used the other to reach into her hoodie pocket, you know who it is. "Not a good time, Player!"

"Do I wanna know?" he asked.

"Let's just say I think I've stumbled onto a breakthrough."

"We'll make it fast, Red. I'm on a satellite feed over Boston and there's activity going on in the streets, see for yourself." Carmen looked on the screen to a street in Boston where someone was burying just below the ground.

"El Topo" Carmen guessed.

"Yeah. Whatever they're doing, it doesn't look good."

"Alright, I'll be there soon" then she had a thought. "And I might be having a little help" she ended the transmission. "Listen up, it seems I've got you guys over a barrel. Now I could walk out of here and turn you all into the police...or, maybe you can call off Zack and Ivy's debt and give me a hand with a little mission of my own, and you can go back playing poker and being general degenerates, what do you say?" An offer you can't refuse?"

The mobsters looked at one other and shrugged in defeat. "Alright kid. But just this once" Eddie warned, trying to be tough.

"One question?" Tommy asked. "Will it involve clowns or clown-like shenanigans?"

"Um, probably not" Carmen shrugged.

"Okay, I'm in."

"What's wrong with you?" Eddie asked.

"What? I don't like clowns."

Everyone groaned. Carmen lowered the gun. "Okay, let's do this" she smiled.

BATTLE CREEK MICHIGAN 0326 HOURS

Julia sat in the lab while a single desk lamp illuminated the place. Dr. Bellum was hard at work developing a new piece of technology that looked as though it should be worn on the wrist. Julia handed her tools at her request and listened on this inquisitive backstory of Carmen Sandiego's father.

"Dexter Wolfe should go down in history as the world's greatest thief. I once saw him steal a shirt off a man's back and the man merely figured there was a draft" Bellum explained. "Unfortunately, his dubious departure from V.I.L.E. ultimately and permanently tarnishes his legacy."

"He was the best?"

"The very best. So good in fact, Carmen Sandiego must've been born with his talents. As a baby she had stolen my pocket protector without my knowing it. A baby!"

"Why take her in?" Julia asked.

"We are quite vile here at V.I.L.E. Marauder, but not even I could have the life of an infant be destroyed. It was a very tense if not a...unique situation for sure, and it is one the faculty and myself regret as we'd still be in our island paradise without her...but, then I suppose we wouldn't have stumbled upon you without her" Bellum chirped.

"What is Wolfe's backstory?" Julia asked. (I'm taking creative license here, obviously we'll probably learn the truth in season 3).

"I know he is part Italian and Spanish, probably some Portuguese too. He worked in Intelligence in his past life. Possibly with Interpol or maybe even the CIA. Turns out he was a better thief than a man of Intel. There was a woman he would talk about, someone named Fraser or something like that."

Julia raised an eyebrow. "Chief?"

"Chief who?"

"Oh um...someone I used to know I-I think. So, he liked being a thief? Is that why he joined V.I.L.E.?"

"I believe so. But I suppose he had a conscious or something. He wanted out, he had a baby and thought of leaving, but I suppose fate had other plans. We believe his so-called wife died some time before, based on our intelligence. Which left little Black Sheep our orphan."

"You think Carmen knows of her past?" Julia asked.

"We believe so. Roundabout's predecessor: Shadowsan who betrayed V.I.L.E. and now works for Carmen was the one who spirited her away and according to his account killed Wolfe on our orders."

"Impossible. Why join with the woman whose father he killed? It must've been someone else" Julia pondered.

"Well, whoever it is, he is dead."

"You ever wonder if Carmen desired a normal life?" Julia asked.

"Probably. She was quite the little prankster in her day. Coach Brunt was always there to defend her, though. She's so motherly at times. I think that's why she's taking quite a shine to you. She was the only one not skeptical when you decided to join us."

"I'll never forget that."

"You have of course proven yourself, you even have the approval of Countess Cleo."

"Ah yes, Coach Brunt explained that Countess Cleo used to know Dexter Wolfe before V.I.L.E.?"

"Her and Coach Brunt. They were friends but Cleo and Dexter knew each other the longest" Bellum explained.

Julia smiled. "I think I have all the information I need, thank you Dr. Bellum, and thank you for explaining your backstory. I hope to be just as evil as you are someday."

"Oh, thank you Marauder. But you have quite the devilish little mind. Are you sure you were ever truly good?" Bellum asked. Julia thought about that for a moment.

"I was...and I hated it" on her smirk...

BOSTON MASSACHUSETTS 0157 HOURS

We're underground in a sewer substation which featured aqueduct pipes spilling out to other parts of the city. It would be a perfect place to cause a little chaos. A hole was made in the wall and out popped a dirty El Topo followed close behind a less dirty Le Chevre and Paper Star each carrying satchels of explosives and carrying a spool of wire behind them. Le Chevre also carried an old style dynamite detonator with a plunger.

"This should do nicely, eh, amigos?" El Topo asked.

"Perfect" Le Chevre snickered. He jumped from pipe to pipe, placing charges on each. Paper Star worked on the pipes towards the ground.

"I'd sooner prefer a gang war" she sighed. "Human misery brings me instant joy."

"You should really see someone" El Topo suggested.

"I agree" The three turned and coming into the light was a smiling Carmen, seemingly alone.

"Carmen Sandiego!" The three yelled.

"You mean Scarlet Santa Rosa" she said with an accent.

"Oh, did you change your name?" El Topo asked, which received face palms from his other two comrades.

"You seem alone" Paper Star smiled, showing off some origami stars. "It'll be fitting because no one will hear you scream."

"Who said I was alone?" Carmen raised an eyebrow, as Eddie and his melee weapon wielding crime family emerged from the woodwork.

"Your posse?" Le Chevre asked.

"They're settling a debt" Carmen smirked.

"One time deal!" Eddie called.

"I was gonna say, normally you travel with two idiots" Paper Star said, running a sharp edge of one of her stars along the wall, making an eerily screeching noise.

"And Shadowsan" El Topo added.

"Hey, we doing this, or what? I'm missing my soap oper—I mean, playing poker!" Eddie called, trying to save himself from the embarrassment of revealing he watches soap operas.

Paper Star launched a few origami stars and the fight was on! Carmen quickly ducked and lunged at the psycho chick while El Topo and Le Chevre went after the mobsters, to little effect. Le Chevre jumped about the walls only to be grabbed and thrown into another wall by the large Moose.

"This is gonna hurt" he groaned right before being thrown.

El Topo did what he did best and burrowed under the ground. He emerged behind a few mob guys and knocked them over, but Eddie clubbed him in the shins with the baseball bat. As he had on armor, nothing was broken, but—

"That hurt!"

Paper Star had knocked Carmen off of her and tried to throw more stars her way, which the wily Carmen was able to dodge. She sprinted towards Paper Star and drop kicked her into a wall. She lunged again and the two came to blows.

"Heard the new girl kicked your butt" Paper Star grunted, taunting Carmen.

"It will be the last time!" Carmen sneered.

"I dunno, I hate to admit it, but she's pretty good!" Paper Star kneed Carmen in the gut, and the two exchanged punches and blows.

Meanwhile Tommy and Two Gunless Timmy knocked El Topo into Le Chevre, and repeatedly knocked the two over as they tried to get up. Moose attempted to sprint at them and keep them down but they got out of the way just in time for the large mobster to knock himself against the nearest wall.

"Should've protected the face" Le Chevre smirked.

"Not V.I.L.E. material at all, amigo" El Topo shook his head.

Next, after more dodging of absurdly sharp origami, Carmen dodged a few more before kicking Paper Star right in the face and knocking her onto her back. She got neutral and Carmen had missed a drop kick while Paper Star knocked her into the wall. After seeing the plunger on the ground, she figured they had little options.

She looked up nearby and saw a sewer opening with a ladder leading up to it. She grabbed the plunger. "Anyone who doesn't want to be vaporized, climb out now!" she called to her two comrades.

She quickly climbed up the ladder while Le Chevre made a few jumps and joined her. El Topo buried himself into the wall. Now, up on the street, the two had emerged and slammed the lid shut (there was a tiny hole for the wire to be led out) while El Topo made his own hole in the street.

"To the alley!" Paper Star called. They ran to a nearby alleyway.

"And now, prepare to be ours, Boston!" Le Chevre rubbed his hands together.

"Let's do it!" Paper Star slammed the plunger down just as police sirens could be heard growing closer. Nothing happened. She tried again...and again...and again. "What? Did one of you idiots forget to arm this thing?"

"It was already armed!" El Topo defended himself.

"Oui, I checked twice!" Le Chevre promised her.

"Hmm" The three turned to see Carmen Sandiego leaning against a wall, twirling a pair of wire cutter. "Oh, did you...did you need the wire to be connected to the explosives to detonate them?" she asked sarcastically. "Silly me, I seem to have cut them."

Paper Star groaned as the sirens grew louder. "Should've had a gang war" she threw own a smoke pellet, and once it cleared, the three were gone.

Carmen smiled, it was good to have a quick turnaround victory. She opened the cover and helped out Eddie and his men and they converged in the alleyway as the police arrived.

"We can go back down and handle the explosives" Bobby suggested.

"No, let the cops handle it. I appreciate this guys."

"So, we're good now?" Eddie asked. "You won't come and bother us anymore. Cause I can't promise we won't be packing in the future."

"As long as my friend's debt is wiped clean."

"A deal's a deal. So, we're square?" Eddie asked, holding out his hand. Carmen nodded and shook it.

"We're square."

"Next time you're in Bean-town, don't look us up" Eddie warned. Him and his boys started to walk away. Tommy waited a moment, digging a business card from his pocket.

"He's not such a bad guy when you get to know him."

"I doubt that."

"Here, if you need a loan" Tommy handed Carmen a business card with Eddie's number on it before vanishing. She shrugged and put the card in her pocket. She put up her hood and walked down the street while the police started to remove the charges from the sewer.

Player gave Camren a call. "Go, Player."

"How'd it go?" he asked.

"Better than before, and I got Zack and Ivy's debt paid off."

"Good. I got you your return flight, private airstrip near Quincy, you can walk right on the plane and get you home."

"Perfect, thank you." Carmen smiled and continued on, another job well done.

BATTLE CREEK MICHIGAN 0344 HOURS

Julia was now in Cleo's quarters. The countess couldn't sleep and was busy sewing new recruit uniforms for the incoming class of V.I.L.E. students. She had been talking Julia's ear off about her former criminal exploits while the conversation quickly turned to...

"Ah, yes. Dexter Wolfe and I go back over twenty years before his death. We used to rob art galleries in Manhattan. Why do you ask?"

"I have discovered he was Carmen Sandiego's true father. And I think I can use this knowledge to my advantage to defeat her."

"How deliciously evil" Cleo smirked. "What would you like to know?"

"Anything you can remember, Countess."

"Well, he relished the hunt. The man was a savant with theft and pulling off heists, he worked with Intelligence for a time before he realized thievery was more fun. Traitor or not, I dare say there will never be a better thief than Dexter Wolfe. I remember..." Cleo paused form he work. "I remember he was really into Russian literature. Solzhenitsyn, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy—oh, he adored Leo Tolstoy. I never understood why the man was the most depressing philosopher I've ever heard and that's saying a lot."

"Very intriguing" Julia smirked.

"It was so strange; he wasn't Russian and I don't think...I don't think he had any connection to the country, but he loved the history. He was into jewelry, watches mostly—oh, I think I have just the thing" Cleo got up and headed to a closet. Next to her room was Dash Haber's who had awoken, very disheveled and wearing Gucci pajamas. (I don't think they make that but if they did, Dash would wear them).

"You're up?" he asked with a yawn.

"Yes, and if I am, so are you. Get to work on the sewing. Chop-chop."

"No problem" he sighed and like a zombie, sat down at the sewing machine. "Marauder."

"Dash" Julia smiled.

Cleo quickly returned with two things. One was a leather bound photo album, the other was an old but stylish women's Rolex watch. "Dexter enjoyed photography, he and I would take many photos of our heists and V.I.L.E.'s early days. I think you'll find them quite eye opening."

Julia smiled and opened the book. The photos were indeed of Dexter, often with Cleo and Coach Brunt. "These are perfect. Did Dexter ever mention a woman by the name Tamara Fraser?"

"Um...yes, actually. They worked together when he was with the government, but I think their relationship soured once he turned."

Evil By Interpol started to play in the background. Julia flipped through the pages when a particular photo fell out of the sleeve, not seen. This one photo was particularly eye opening to Julia and she grinned wickedly. "Hmm, I like that grin" Cleo smirked. "This watch was stolen from Dexter before he left V.I.L.E. for the last time. By that point we were already suspicious of his activities and wanted to learn more. It's a standard Rolex, but check the inscription on the reverse."

"To Vera, my star, my light. Now we can be together and start our life together as it should be, Love Dex" Julia read. "Thank you Countess, I know exactly what I am going to do" She took the items and grinned as she left Cleo's quarters, the song continued to play...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed and leave me a comment with your suggestions, there will be more Julia/Tigress romance to be had, they might actually profess their love soon...


	7. Bless Me, Father...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this week's chapter-sode, Chase Devineaux builds his new anti-Marauder/Carmen task force, Carmen returns home from Boston and opts to keep her being there a secret from Zack and Ivy to humble herself while Julia returns to A.C.M.E. cultivating an ingeniously evil plan to defeat Carmen Sandiego in their next encounter which will be robbing priceless tapestries from Vatican City while she and Tigress finally have a long awaited romantic moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The romantic moment is cutsie and not sexual, but regardless, let's be adults about it, please.

SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA 0613 HOURS

'Twas dawn, and Carmen stumbled out of her Lyft and over to her headquarters, more tired and disheveled than she ever was before. She fumbled around for her keys and entered, seeing no sign of Vincent or Gypsy meaning they must've went home for the night.

She tiptoed up to her room, throwing off her hoodie revealing only her black t-shirt, and discarded the hoodie to the floor. She stared at her perfectly made bed and made the executive decision to merely flop onto it.

With another yawn she fell onto said bed and kicked off her kicks. As she crawled towards her pillow something felt uncomfortable in her backside. She tried to get to a comfy place but simply couldn't. She flipped over to the floor and reached around behind her and gasped.

She pulled out Matty's pistol which she had apparently not discarded as per his vague and lackadaisical instructions.

"How in the world?" she muttered. She then remembered her brief conversation with Player after her very successful solo mission to the land of baked beans and clam chowduh where she killed two proverbial birds with one stone. "Private airstrip, where you can walk right on the plane, no security" she remembered. "That's a dangerous proposition for the average person."

But before Carmen could think about what to do next with her unlicensed firearm she heard the pitter-patter of feet followed by the familiar yawn and then voice of— "Carmen? Is that you?"

It was Ivy. Upon hearing her voice Carmen quickly plopped the gun to the floor and kicked it under the bed. This was just in time to be missed by Ivy, still in her PJ's, making an audible yawn just in time to not notice Carmen's nonchalant covering up of her found firearm.

"Did you just get home?"

"Um...yes, but I was jogging" Carmen explained.

"Jogging...all night?" came Ivy's very perplexed follow-up.

"No, I was counting the money, I went to bed, and woke up early to go jogging. I didn't even hear you guys come in."

"Oh..." Ivy then glanced at Carmen's busted up hand. "What happened to your hand?"

"Huh?" Carmen then looked at the gauze wrap, now dirty and with some dried residual blood staining it.

Crud, how was she gonna talk her way out of this one? 'Oh yeah, I got really angry about myself and my recent actions coupled with the stress of being an international philanthropist/Robin Hood that I decided to punch my mirror'.

"Oh I broke a glass in the kitchen, I nicked my knuckles trying to clean it up. Don't worry, I'm fine."

Fortunately, Ivy didn't turn her head slightly to Carmen's bathroom where she would certainly notice the smashed-in mirror probably with some residual knuckle blood on the spider web cracks. Ivy simply shrugged, she had after all no reason to be suspicious of the boss she had an undying loyalty for.

"Oh-kay then. I'm gonna make breakfast, you want anything?"

"Thanks but I'm good" Carmen lied, too tired to want to do anything that didn't involve sleep.

"Well, if you change your mind I'll make extra" Ivy winked.

"Thank you, Ivy" Carmen gave her a wave as the now debt-free redhead disappeared from her doorway. Carmen closed her door and decided to take a shower as she was very disheveled from the previous evening, maybe that would put her mind at ease. She found the strength to go into the bathroom, the broken mirror being a reminder of her inner demons taking shape.

SEATTLE WASHINGTON 0629 HOURS

I just realized we had an entire chapter with nary a mention of Chase Devineaux, so we shall rectify that. Chase had gotten to work early, reserving one of A.C.M.E.'s briefing rooms as a quasi-classroom to begin strategizing for new plans to take down Carmen Sandiego...but he certainly was very open to getting rid of Marauder.

Chase had really let the Special Agent status go to his head...but, we all knew it would. Chase had gotten some pastries and filled one of those metal coffee dispensers, setting them aside for the agents, making sure everything was perfect.

He looked good, despite the previous day. His arm was out of the sling, and despite the bruising, he was same old Chase Devineaux once more. On a whiteboard at the head of the room he wrote at the top: OPERATION: LA FEMME ROUGE. Below it was one of Chase's famous serial killer yarn photo string boards with every theory he could possibly muster along with relevant photos and Post-It notes scribbled partially in French and in haphazardly written English.

He turned to see Chief standing in the doorway, fairly impressed with his quick healing and ability to take charge of his new post. But she knew somehow, some way she would regret putting him there.

"Fine work, Special Agent Devineaux" she exclaimed, pouring herself a cup of joe.

"Merci, Chief" he nodded.

"I hope you don't mind, it's A.C.M.E. protocol for me to sit in on all first meetings of new operations. Just to see the basics. You'll hardly know I'm here."

"Yes of course."

Chief took a sip of her flavorless coffee. "I'm deeply troubled by this new villain, Devineaux. While it's true, V.I.L.E. is excruciatingly ruthless to a fault, this Marauder you've described is unapologetically evil. You are aware this is more than taking down our favorite "lady in red", this is about getting a very dangerous criminal behind bars. You and I shared a personal heart to heart last night, but I hope you can put your words into action."

"Without fail, Chief" Chase promised her.

"Good."

The agents part of the operation started to trickle in, though Zari was not among them. A very eager Anthony Falco, Chase's "work friend" sat as close as he could to the front of the large conference table everyone used to take their notes at.

"Chase my man!" he called putting Chase in an uncomfortable bro hug he didn't ask for. "When I heard you were heading this operation I couldn't have signed up fast enough!"

"Somehow I knew you would" Chase deadpanned.

"You're coming over to watch Fargo this weekend, right?"

"Wouldn't miss it."

"Awesome!" Anthony took his seat. "Good morning, Chief!"

Chief nodded, then whispered in Chase's ear. "I thought you didn't like Agent Falco?"

"Yes, but I like Fargo. Such a great show" Chase whispered back. (I mean Fargo the show, not the movie...but they're both fantastic).

Chief made an eyeroll and took her seat at the back of the room. Chase then took out a dry erase marker as everyone sat quietly. "Good morning Agents, this will be the first day of the rest of your lives. Today we will be tackling two suspects, one familiar, one brand new; each in a different fashion. We are here today to begin financially crippling the mighty Carmen Sandiego while devising new tactics on V.I.L.E.'s latest criminal mastermind. She goes by Marauder" Chase pointed to a picture on the board which was a grainy security camera photo taken at the museum the day before.

BATTLE CREEK MICHIGAN 0851 HOURS

In the V.I.L.E. lair, Julia was hard at work at a photocopier making many glossy and high resolution copies of the photos from Cleo's album. She smirked gleefully as each copy emerged from the machine and onto the slanted paper deck. Chase continued his introduction via voice over.

"Make no mistake, she may look small and unassuming, but myself and Agent Zari can personally attest that she is a ruthless, cunning, and diabolical agent of chaos. As much as you all know I would love to say defeating her would be child's play, unfortunately, that could not be further from the truth."

Julia finished up and stacked the pile of photos neatly before walking away.

Later, she was in her room, packing whatever she thought she needed for her trip back to Seattle to resume her duties at A.C.M.E. only in reality to be a double agent. She was certain to pack her official A.C.M.E. multi-purpose pen. Oh boy was that thing useful...

It wasn't long before she heard a light knock at her door. Julia turned and smiled to see a seemingly nervous Tigress standing in the doorway. Julia beamed a happy smile while Tigress nervously avoided eye contact.

"Good morning, you" Julia cooed.

"Morning" Tigress entered the room and did that move nervous people do where they look away but rub one of their arms with the opposite hand. "Whatcha...whatcha doing?"

"This? Oh, this is my brilliant plan to distract Carmen Sandiego for when we rob The Vatican."

Tigress got distracted and her nervous demeanor was quickly replaced by her wicked zeal. "I like it when you talk evil. It's cute."

Julia turned and sat confidently in her desk swivel chair. "I think it's hot" she said almost uncharacteristically. "What brings you to my humble room?"

Tigress leaned her hands on the arms of the chair staring right into Julia's eyes. "Oh you know, just letting you know about Coach Brunt's drop kicking seminar later today, it's not mandatory but it's a-it's a great way to get on her good side. Not that you need it, but; couldn't hurt."

"Oh" Julia raised a curious eyebrow. "Was there, anything else you wanted to tell me?"

"No-nope, that's all" Tigress nervously spurted.

"O-kay" a disappointed Julia looked away. "Well then, I suppose I shall see you later. Will you save me a seat at the seminar?"

"Duh" Tigress said, she then turned to walk out. "I'll see you later."

But Julia wasn't just going to let her bestie walk out on her. Not this time. They were deprived of two very romantic moments the previous evening...or at least she thought they were going to become romantic moments.

It had only been a week since their fortuitous meet-cute in London and tear-jerking Breaking Bad rip-off scene in the hotel. They had grown oddly close since then. Julia felt confident around Tigress, she enjoyed showing off her intelligence to the platinum haired villainess.

For her part, Tigress obviously had feelings for Julia, and it was now apparent to everyone except El Topo. There was just something beautiful about Julia in a way she never imagined. She liked showing off her thievery skills to the pixie cut Asian-Englishwoman.

Both had dated before now but their previous paramours just never seemed to be the right fit. Sure they both dated men in the past and perhaps that was in fact the issue at hand that they never really grappled with before getting better acquainted...though it seems a bit obvious that Julia has—or had a bit of a thing for Carmen.

The two had been working off of endorphins and romantic impulses as of late but for whatever reason they never materialized. Were they afraid? Did they think this would ruin the friendship they built and make their future partnerships awkward? Or were they both unaware about how to make a first move, considering they had been rooked multiple times before.

Julia had grown confidently since changing her allegiance. The old version of her might have let Tigress walk out and hope it would be her who makes that all-too-important first move. But not this Julia, not this time.

"Tigress, wait!" Julia stood up from her chair just as Tigress had reached the doorway. "I already knew of Coach Brunt's seminar. We were both at breakfast when she announced it. There's something else you wanted to tell me, isn't there?"

Tigress sighed, it was now or never. The usually over-confident villainess discovered just how vulnerable she was in front of Julia, a woman who stood five three and was a hundred-twenty pounds soaking wet, hardly someone that out of glance looked threatening. Tigress was always a woman who got what she wanted, she made that abundantly clear from day one. So why was this new girl able to pierce her defenses and make her retreat so easily?

With too many thoughts racing through her head, Tigress closed the door and walked towards Julia where every step seemed like an eternity. The two blushed and Tigress cupped Julia's chin, using her thumb to scratch it. "Of course there is, you knew that. You're too smart."

Julia smiled and wrapped her arms around Tigress's hips. "Then don't be afraid."

They leaned down, their forehead's touching. Tigress took one last deep breath and shut her eyes before turning her head and making contact with Julia's lips, who was more than happy to reciprocate.

It was a sweet and innocent enough kiss, certainly longer than their impromptu one at the top of one of the Smithsonian museums the day before. Tigress's worries were placated and her domineering side perked back and she quickly took control of the kiss.

Julia never fancied herself a good kisser...or being all that romantic, many of her previous relationships thought she was boring and cared too much about...to put it Chase Devineaux's terms: "dull facts and boring things." God, he's such a jerk.

But with Tigress, the kiss seemed effortless, like this was something she had wanted to do for quite some time. This new criminal lifestyle gave the usually diminutive Julia a new lease on life she never knew existed.

After a few moments, the two released, and opened their eyes, staring deep at one another. Tigress blushed. "I guess the cat's out of the bag."

"You weren't exactly being subtle" Julia said with a wink. "But then again, neither was I."

"Well, I'm glad it doesn't have to be awkward anymore" Tigress smiled. "I feel confident in saying I'll see you later."

Tigress turned to go but she was stopped once again. This time, Julia grabbed onto one of her wrists. Slightly stunned, Tigress turned to see her smirking love interest looking at her so lovingly yet so controlling. Static On The Radio by Jim White started to play in the background.

"Who said anything about later?" Julia asked facetiously. She grabbed onto Tigress's arm and pulled her back in. "I couldn't think of a better use of our free time" she chirped with almost a sinisterly sweet chuckle before gently pushing Tigress onto her bed. Julia pounced, kneeling on the bed, her hands wrapped around the back of Tigress's head. The platinum blonde blushed. "You are going nowhere until I make you purr" Julia cooed.

Before Tigress could respond, she was cut short by Julia shoving her lips onto hers. The song continued while the two made out on Julia's bed, with their previous kiss being completely innocent compared to this one. The two were happy they were able to profess their feelings for one another but it was obvious their pent up frustrations were about to be cathartically brought into the open.

Tigress felt weak and Julia fell on top of her on the bed and the two moved their hands around their heads and faces while they continued to kiss. They barely paused to take a breath from their romantic romp. And they wouldn't have had it any other way.

SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA 0815 HOURS

We skip from the Mid-west to the West Coast; from true romance to truly without romance. The song slowly faded. Carmen had showered and dressed for bed, wanting to spend the day relaxing and unwinding from a previous day of long and arduous missions.

She was brushing her teeth, staring at the broken mirror in front of her. Carmen sighed. Now she had to find a glass maker or buy a new mirror at Home Depot or something.

Zack and Ivy were the resident handyman/woman so it would be an awkward story to have to explain to them the true nature of the broken mirror, especially since she had already more or less lied to Ivy about it.

She wrapped her swollen knuckles again and popped a few ibuprofen before flopping back into bed. She desperately tried to fall asleep but she couldn't. It's not that she didn't want to sleep, she was afraid of the nightmares. There was no comfortable position for her to try, nothing worked, it seemed.

After nearly half an hour of nothing, Carmen sighed, and felt like maybe her body just needed sustenance. First of course, there was one thing she needed to do. She got on her phone and gave Player a video call. She had caught the Canadian computer genius hard at work...playing Xbox. "What's up, Red?"

"Last night in Boston? That stays between us, got it?" Carmen matter-of-factly ordered.

"Um...o-kay. Sure" A skeptical Player nodded.

"Please don't ask why and you can never bring it up again."

"Not a problem, but uh, you should really try and get some sleep" he insisted.

"I'm gonna try and force down a green smoothie, then give it a shot."

"Okay good. Heads up though, V.I.L.E.'s planning something big in the coming days somewhere in Italy. I'll give you more details as they come in."

"Please and thank you" Carmen chirped before ending the call.

She got up and headed downstairs towards the kitchen. Of course, everyone was there doing something. Gypsy and Vincent had returned to launder the money with Shadowsan's help while Ivy made breakfast and Zack continued work on their theme song, taking much verbal abuse from his sister and Shadowsan while doing so.

Of course, everyone stopped what they were doing to take notice of Carmen coming down the stairs into the kitchen.

"There she is!" Zack called.

"Where were you last night?" Shadowsan asked.

"Wwwwwwhat are you talking about? I was here, all night long."

Shadowsan raised a skeptical eyebrow, perhaps lying to the very person who taught stealth 101—her being one of his pupils, was probably not a person she should be lying to. "But I checked in your room when we returned home."

"We brought you back a doggie bag, by the way" Zack added.

"Oh, that's so sweet of you" Carmen said to Zack in an effort to dodge Shadowsan's question. "Where'd you guys go?"

"Ruth's Chris" Vincent called. "Right on the Esplanade there by the harbor."

"What? You guys had ten grand to play with and you went to a steakhouse chain?" Carmen asked, trying to keep any conversation off Shadowsan's question.

"All those hoity-toity restaurants had dress codes and I wasn't gettin' in wearing this" Gypsy added, pointing to his bandana.

"It was still wicked good. I brought you back my leftover porterhouse and mashed potatoes" Zack explained.

"You mean your second porterhouse and mashed potatoes" Ivy reminded him.

"What? I was hungry."

"You're always hungry" Carmen countered. She went to the pantry and got the requisite ingredients to make her smoothie, again trying to dodge Shadowsan's glare. She let out a massive yawn, and her sensei decided to try a different approach.

"You seem tired" he said.

"Oh yeah, well, I didn't get a good night's sleep but now I feel tired—my nightmares, you know."

Skeptical but not willing to give her the third degree, Shadowsan recoiled. "Right."

Carmen breathed a sigh of relief knowing all too well that wasn't the end of that conversation. However, her lies were about to catch up with her as Vincent was looking over the manifest and doing a few doubletakes when he looked over at their money counting table.

"What the heck?"

"What's the matter?" Gypsy asked.

"Were missing money, that's what" Vincent said startled.

"How much?" Ivy asked, suddenly concerned.

"About five hundred large, give or take" Vincent explained.

Carmen gulped. She was the last person to handle the money and it wouldn't take a forensic accountant to realize she may have made off with it. She knew no one would mind that she used the money to settle Zack and Ivy's debt but again, she wanted no one to know.

"Oh right. I had already earmarked that money and put in our counted bundles over there" Carmen lied, pointing to their perfectly stacked piles of cash already counted and ready to be deposited into their cooperating corporations' accounts. There was so much money there was no way Vincent or Gypsy would notice, much less go searching for it. "I must've forgot to put it in the manifest. It's going to Reebok and to be donated to The Wildlife Conservation Fund" she explained.

"There, see? Nothing to worry about you paranoid mook" Gypsy said to Vincent.

"I mean, it just seems like it's missing" Vincent scratched his head.

"Will you fuggetaboutit already and help me with this stack of cash here?" Gypsy asked.

"Yeah, yeah."

Carmen breathed a sigh of relief while Shadowsan was not moved, not hardly. He glanced over Carmen's way and she did her very best not to notice. She forced her readily made smoothie and quickly disappeared upstairs, but she had a hunch she wouldn't just be able to go to sleep. She sat at her desk in her room, doing some tired pondering on the last week or so which was quantified into pondering about her life up until that point.

She thought of her life growing up on V.I.L.E. Island, living a lie her entire childhood and then now in her early twenties doing all she could to stop them at all costs...and therein lied the root of Carmen's problem.

At all costs...

In Carmen's never ending mission to destroy her former family she nearly lost her crack pit crew, ruined her friendship with Julia and God knows who else she inadvertently sabotaged along the way to ensure V.I.L.E. was decimated.

Carmen felt a presence in her doorway. It was Shadowsan. "Yes?" she deadpanned.

"Are you going to tell me where you actually were last night?" he asked.

Carmen sighed and spun around in her chair to face him. "No" Carmen said dryly figuring it'd be best to just outright keep her secret rather than lie.

"Then I suppose I will also not be getting an answer about the missing money?" he asked quizzically.

"That is correct" Carmen deadpanned tapping her foot on the floor. She saw Shadowsan sigh. "Look, it was a personal thing I had to do and it's been taken care of. That's all you need to know."

"Did it involve the twins?"

"Maybe. Maybe not."

"Carmen, you are aware that whatever is troubling you, you can tell me" Shadowsan said in a rare move of vulnerability.

"I have a lot of things troubling me right now, Shadowsan, and I need to figure them out on my own."

"Why?"

"Because—" Carmen trailed, then stood up. "Because maybe I need to take some time and stop and think about what I've done to people!"

"But, your whole existence is helping the less fortunate by destroying V.I.L.E."

"Well I haven't exactly been the best kind of person in the process. I've definitely hurt people. Certain people."

Shadowsan had a feeling where she was going with this. "Would this have anything to do with Julia Argent?" Carmen shot him a glare, but said nothing. Shadowsan sighed. Carmen may have been this powerful boss and world renown thief but at the end of the day she was a young woman with a lot to learn, he felt this wasn't the time to pry, knowing Carmen as long as he did, he knew she would come around. "When you are ready, you know where to find me."

"I'm fine" Carmen insisted.

"When you realize you aren't, I will be here to help, but I will not press you any further."

"Good. This conversation stays between us" Carmen warned.

Another sigh. "Fine. Wherever you were you must be exhausted, get some sleep" Shadowsan urged her before leaving.

"Sleep" Carmen rolled her eyes. "That sounds wonderful...except for my nightmares" She turned off her lights, drew her blinds and crawled into bed, hoping for what she desperately wanted: a good day's sleep.

Carmen couldn't shake the feeling. That feeling of guilt even though she hardly did anything wrong but now everything started to throw her for a loop. The one thing she certainly couldn't shake... "Why Jules? Why now? Why do I feel so guilty" she groaned trying to punch her pillow.

After getting that out of her system but still too tired to continue with her existential conundrum, Carmen shut her eyes, hoping there were sweet dreams which lay ahead...boy was she wrong.

BATTLE CREEK MICHIGAN 1022 HOURS

While Carmen was having sweet nightmares, Julia and Tigress laid curled up under the covers in her the former's bed. They had uh...enjoyed their company, now clad only in their bras and underwear. Their V.I.L.E. uniforms were haphazardly strewn about the floor.

Julia was awake while Tigress somehow fell asleep, despite having the better night's sleep anyway. She gazed at her sleeping companion, now finally secure with their relationship, as was Tigress. Julia rubbed her sleeping head.

"My little kitten" she whispered. Tigress then snorted, and a moment later, opened her eyes, taking a good look at Julia, she smiled and pulled Julia in for another kiss.

"I can't believe you have to leave tomorrow" Tigress pouted. "We were just...getting to know each other."

"Come with me, then" Julia responded moving her lips to Tigress's neck.

"Ahhhh—I can't. I tried. Ah, Coach won't-ah, let me." Tigress cooed. Julia let go of her neck. "She said it'd be too dangerous if we were seen together. It was one thing to look after you but now that we're on the same team it'd look suspicious if your A.C.M.E. ilk saw us near each other. Her words, not mine."

"It's okay, I'll come back, a lot" Julia promised her.

"I know you will" Tigress gave her another kiss. "Just don't go chasing other girls in Seattle."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

Suddenly a knock came at the door, but the person merely opened up the door. This person having no regard for boundaries was Paper Star who of course stopped in her tracks when she saw the two...together...in bed.

"The Faculty wants to..." she then looked up and saw the two lovebirds blushing. "...See everyone" she then walked out, closing the door behind her. Her tone obviously not the one they wanted to hear.

"What is V.I.L.E.'s policy on inter-agency dating?" Julia asked.

"As long as you produce results, there are no rules" Tigress answered.

"Maybe afterwards you can help me pack" Julia said enticingly. "But I doubt we'll be doing much packing" the two then kissed again.

SEATTLE WASHINGTON 0912 HOURS

Chase was back at his office combing over news clips over charities receiving large anonymous donations and he was coming up empty. As per his usual, his overzealous detecting drew more questions than answers. He looked above his crudely hand drawn picture of Carmen locked in a cage with the grainy security photo of Marauder next to it. The caption in French read: L'ennemi ne vous contrôle pas (The Enemy does not control you).

Chase wiped his eyes and twirled his A.C.M.E. pen, resisting the urge to bite the activator tip in anxious frustration. There was something starting to puzzle him about Marauder, something...oddly accessible about her. But the French detective couldn't quite put his finger on it. His gumshoe wheels started turning as he remembered something seemingly benign Marauder said to himself and Carmen. It was merely a threat but it sounded strangely cryptic.

"It's fitting, seeing you both defeated. You'll both get what you deserve." Words now circling Chase's head the way Julia's haunted Carmen. But then Chase had a breakthrough. He quickly got up and ran to Chief's office.

Chief had just finished a phone call when Chase barged in. "Special Agent Devineaux" she greeted him.

"I think I stumbled on a revelation about our new enemy, Marauder" he reported.

"Ah, the old gumshoe strikes again" Chief playfully chuckled. "What is it?"

"She knows who I am, and she knows who Carmen Sandiego is. The only other thing we have in common is she wants to destroy us both."

"That seems fitting. You work for an organization dedicated to taking her down and Carmen's crew has similar aims, albeit playing fast and loose with the law. That's hardly a revelation."

Chase then slammed his hands on Chief's desk to prove he meant business. "No, I mean, she knows who we are and I think she feels personally wronged by us both. She relished in the opportunity to see us both defeated together, saying we would 'get what we deserved'. Whomever she is, the two of us wronged her somehow."

Chief mulled this over. "That's not a bad theory, but she doesn't sound particularly unintelligent, perhaps she wants to throw you both off your game? You two don't mutually know a lot of people. Besides, A.C.M.E. has all your information from your old key card presumably, she probably never even met either of you before yesterday" Then Chief paused. "Then again, what if she does know you both?"

"The only way to know for sure is to accurately interrogate Carmen Sandiego" Chase insisted.

Chief smiled. "Well, then I guess you need to get to it. Agent Falco is working on gathering subpoenas to charities that have received large cash donations anonymously as of late. They will need your signature."

"Right away, Chief" he gave a bow and headed back to work, both now a bit uneasy at his proposition...but boy did Chase have no idea about how right he was.

BATTLE CREEK MICHIGAN 1146 HOURS

Inside a makeshift meeting room, Julia, Tigress, Le Chevre, El Topo, and Paper Star sat in chairs facing a projection screen where Gunnar was at the projector, flipping through a slideshow. He was joined by the other faculty behind him.

"Your task will be this..." he explained, showing clips of many elegant and complex tapestries. "The Gallery of Tapestries are without hyperbole the crown jewel of The Vatican. Your task will be to infiltrate the museum and make off with each of them."

"We debated stealing the dome of the Sistine Chapel...but, where would we put it?" Cleo asked facetiously.

"The plan itself is quite simple in theory" Gunnar continued. "Thanks to Roundabout's influence in MI6, it'll be easy to deflect the royal Swiss guards to some other post."

"But do not take this lightly" Roundabout added. "You will only have one half hour before they realize they've been had."

"Quite, and as for extraction, the good doctor remembered she had a functioning brain and—"

Gunnar was about to motion to Bellum who was on her five-monitor device thumbing through her usual chicaneries but added the dreaded TikTok to her list of devices. "—Ahem."

"Ha-ha, this cat can play Beethoven's Fourth" Bellum then realized she was being summoned. "Oh, right. Sorry. As for extraction of the tapestries I give you—these!" She put what looked like ordinary household irons on the table near the agents.

"Irons?" El Topo asked quizzically.

"Not just any irons!" Bellum added like the mad doctor she was at heart. "These enhance the static electricity from the friction in the air and supercharge any surface that could be a conductor...say tapestries perhaps? All you have to do is move the device across the tapestries—"

"Like an iron?" Tigress asked with a sarcastic eyebrow.

"Well um...yes, but it works!" Bellum promised them. "Once they are charged, drag them out into the Vatican courtyard where our chopper piloted by The Cleaners and Coach Brunt will suck them up using our new powerful magnet which is attracted to static electricity."

"The magnet runs underneath the chopper, we'll swipe the tapestries then swipe the rest of you" Brunt explained. "Quick, clean getaway."

"There's only one problem" Paper Star deadpanned. "Our friend with the red coat."

"Marauder has an answer for that" Gunnar smirked, nodding to Julia who stood to address everyone.

"Thanks to Countess Cleo's generous use of an old photo album I have devised a way to corner Carmen Sandiego in another room in the Vatican Museum."

"You're gonna distract her with photos?" An unconvinced Paper Star asked, Tigress glared at her.

"In a sense. A former faculty member has a sort of...shall we say, personal relationship to La Femme Rouge. One I plan to exploit. Once I use my A.C.M.E. credentials to find additional evidence I surmise might help us, I know it will perfectly throw her off her game" Julia explained.

"That leaves only the Tweedle Dumb and Tweedle Imbecile to deal with us" Tigress added.

"Who is who?" El Topo asked, getting face palms from everyone around. "The boy sounds like he would be fun to go to Disneyland with."

This was met with sighs and even more face palms. "Le Chevre, I'm too far away, smack him for me, please?" Coach Brunt sighed. Le Chevre nodded and slapped El Topo in the back of the head. "Thank you."

"Wait, what if she also sends Shadowsan?" Paper Star added.

"We're implementing a smaller heist in Phenom Penh simultaneously where we believe she will dispatch the traitor: Shadowsan for such a task" Roundabout explained.

"He tends to go on missions alone" Gunnar continued. "We also have a distraction in mind for the rest of A.C.M.E. which will incapacitate them while Marauder can slip away and uh...get into proper character."

"Was this also her idea?" Paper Star crossed her arms.

"It was" Julia glared. "And it is a perfectly brilliant and evil plan" she sneered, particularly at Paper Star.

"And you three in no position to question anyone's plans when you let Carmen Sandiego defeat you single handedly last night" Brunt warned her, Le Chevre, and El Topo...but mostly Paper Star.

"She was not alone" El Topo defended.

"Oui, she was joined by a posse of mob movie rejects" Le Chevre pouted.

"Regardless. After were extracted, Marauder will then return to A.C.M.E, and we return with the tapestries" Coach Brunt finished.

"Any questions?" Gunnar asked. Only Paper Star raised her hand. "Good. Meeting adjourned."

Everyone started to file out of the room, but Julia stayed, cornering Paper Star before she could leave. "Do you have a problem with me?" Julia asked.

"I'm not sure yet. You're so smart, I'll let you figure that one out" she snarled before pushing Julia out of the way. Julia narrowed her eyes watching her walk away. Tigress walked back in, giving Paper Star her own famous glare, but then smiled at her paramour. Julia's defenses were mitigated, and she smiled back.

Later that day, her and Tigress were busy packing in Julia's quarters. The pixie cut villainous was not exactly thrilled with Paper Star's animosity towards her. "She has some gall."

"Paper Star is a literal psychopath, don't let her crazy butt get to you" Tigress promised her.

"Still, what do I have to do to prove my loyalty?"

"Hey, don't worry about her" Tigress embraced her new girlfriend in this new uncharacteristically caring side. "You got bigger fish to fry, like not blowing your cover."

"Please, they don't suspect a thing" Julia promised.

"Well what if they do? They'll lock you up, or worse. I've seen what we do to people who get jammed up. This guy named Crackle in my graduating class got caught long ago, he's totally off the radar."

"I remember him when I was at Interpol, he simply vanished."

"It was The Cleaners. That's how they get us back, and then...wipe your mind." Tigress explained, Julia gulped.

"That won't happen to me."

"I know, cause you're gonna go in there and be the smartest and most talented person in the room, and make sure everyone in that room knows it, too."

"But...what if they—"

"Shh" Tigress put two fingers against Julia's lips.

"Don't overthink it. Remember your training, be confident and never give up on the con. There is no "yeah but", only "yes, and". Even if the task makes your blood boil, do it, you know you'll get your revenge." She moved her fingers away from Julia's mouth.

"You're sure?"

"I'll prove it to you" Tigress then met her lips with Julia's and the two shared another wonderful kiss. They released and Julia blushed.

"Now you're okay with leaning in?" Julia coyly asked.

"Just shut-up and kiss me some more." And the two did just that, this time it was Tigress in control.

DREAM SEQUENCE

I've been teasing the idea of Carmen's dreams for a few chapters now and what they represent and never got around to actually showing you what she was dreaming about. So, we shall rectify that post haste. (I don't know why I'm saying "we", like I'm The Queen or something).

We transition now into this foggy wooded area. It's the kind of foggy forest Wes Craven made movies about. For whatever reason, you're walking through the woods and suddenly—BAM, fog, and you can barely see fifty feet in front of you.

We hear huffing, we hear twigs snapping, and feet stomping. We see Carmen is responsible for those noises, seemingly running for her life in this hundred acre wood of despair. Carmen trips over an exposed root of a tree and lands on the deck with a lugubrious thud. She looks behind her and see gaining on her, a dark silhouetted shadowy figure.

"No! Get away!" Carmen called.

She got up and took off again with the shadow gaining on her with each passing step despite the fact it clearly wasn't running. Carmen continued apace until she happened upon a small clearing and there standing was this gothic three story house in the middle of the woods, with vines overtaking it.

Now, a regular person in reality wouldn't dare venture into that house alone if you paid them, but the laws of film and television dictate Carmen shall run into that scary house while being chased by this weird figure.

Carmen rushed inside the house, bull rushing the large wooden doors to open it. "Hello!?" she called.

The inside was just as dark and derelict as the outside. It was a large foyer with a hall leading down to a kitchen, and two halls leading to a family room on one side and living room on another while a staircase was sort of in front of Carmen. In the middle dangling down was an ancient and cobweb infested chandelier. Carmen quickly slammed the door shut and ran up the stairs.

Unfortunately halfway up one of the steps gave way and Carmen's left foot fell through it, and she was essentially stuck. "Gah! No!" She tried to pull her leg free. Suddenly, though, the front door barged open, and there stood the shadowy figure, clearly wearing a duster and a large hat, but they had no other features other than piercing red eyes. The figure stood in the door way and looked up at Carmen just as—

SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA 0301 HOURS

Carmen awoke with a fright. She realized she was in fact in her bed and not stuck in some crazy random house in the middle of nowhere being chased by a dark figure. She looked over at her phone after realizing it was nighttime and she somehow slept the entirety of her day.

"3:01" Carmen whispered. However, as she slept literally all day she was well rested and ready for anything. Regardless of her psyche clearly giving her cries for help. She knew she needed guidance, but whom could she call upon to give her an unbiased opinion? Instead of letting this consume her, she decided to wake up and continue the money counting.

SEATTLE WASHINGTON 0705 HOURS

Hours later in the land of coffee and misery, Chase Devineaux, now with his own perplexities, walked into the meeting room, where Agent Zari, fresh from getting a sleep-gas detox sat close to the front, notepad at the ready.

"Agent Zari" Chase boomed.

"Special Agent Devineaux" she nodded with her usual brand of monotoned charm. "How are you feeling?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"Ready to get back to work"

"Good."

More agents filed in and took their seats with Anthony Falco being particularly friendly, having started the process of auditing charity organizations that may or may not have had donations given to them by Carmen.

"Okay, how are we with the subpoenas Agent Falco?" Chase asked.

"Slow, apparently the Treasury Department has more important things to do than a supposed Thief stealing from other thieves and giving those proceeds to end homelessness."

"Bah! Lousy politics" Chase moaned. "Keep on them, find any irregularity in their books, we will force those subpoenas."

"I say we start inserting a few agents into those organizations to learn their structures and see who exactly makes donations" Zari suggested.

"Welcome back, Agent Zari" Chase happily breamed, writing her suggestion on the board. "I like where your head's at." Chase looked over his work. "Oui, now onto our second conundrum, which one of you has any theories on Marauder, because I—" Chase as suddenly interrupted from his lecture by...

"In the museum of accents, there goes the Mona Lisa" everyone looked to see a strangely confident Julia, clad in her A.C.M.E. duds, and her glasses, standing in the doorway. Everyone including Chase was happy to see her, maybe not Zari.

"Miss Argent!" Chase cheered.

"Hello everyone, I just wanted to announce my return to A.C.M.E." Julia explained, walking in. She was now oozing confidence. "And to congratulate "Special" Agent Devineaux on his new task force. I've volunteered to work in the filing room but I certainly hope there is a spot for me on your missions?"

"Of course, we missed your historical knowhow" Chase said uncharacteristically.

This threw Julia for a loop. "Really?"

"Well you know, sometimes. Sometimes they are dull and boring but other times they have been quite useful" and just like that, same old Chase.

Julia rolled her eyes but got back into character. "But of course" she then turned to Zari and put a hand on her shoulder for extra sincerity points. "I also wanted to express my deepest apologies for disrespecting your authority Agent Zari" she then laid a grip on her shoulder. "It will not happen again" she said in a more sinister tone, but not enough to arose suspicion.

Zari raised an eyebrow but was seemingly unmoved. "Of course."

Julia took her hand off her shoulder. "Well, I must get to work, let me know if you need anything" Julia started to walk out.

"Ooh, I'd like an espresso" Chase said. "Anyone else? Drink orders?"

Julia clenched her fists but then put on a very fake smile.

SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA 0928 HOURS

Carmen got another shower and dressed, hoping for a better day than she was having previously. She took a look at the bathroom mirror, it was haunting her, much more than her nightmares. Maybe she hoped, fixing it would give her a bit of closure. Unfortunately, her harrowing Boston solo mission didn't seem to do her justice.

Smash cut to a Home Depot somewhere in San Diego. Carmen walked through the aisles like a zombie, joylessly pushing one of those weird pallet carts. She had a new vanity mirror, some caulk and a caulking gun, as they were the only tools Zack and Ivy didn't have.

Carmen thought this to be a moment of weakness. Her whole mission in life was seemingly to take down V.I.L.E. and send them all to prison, and of course it cost her some friendships along the way with her overzealous no-nonsense approach to doing so.

While she pushed the pallet towards the checkout line someone suddenly put their foot up to stop it. Carmen looked up and saw it was Shadowsan. "You followed me here?"

"You slept all day and night, I was worried."

"Thanks Dad" Carmen deadpanned, she tried to get past Shadowsan but he wouldn't let her.

"Is it a safe guess your hand is bruised because you punched the bathroom mirror you are here to replace?" he asked.

"Ooh brilliant deduction. Keep this up and you can give Chase Devineaux a run for his money" Carmen mused before carting past him.

"Your sarcasm never ceases to amaze me, Black Sheep" Shadowsan sighed, calling Carmen by her former name. She stopped in her tracks. She turned around to face him, arms crossed.

"The nightmares are getting worse" she finally said.

"When did they start? A few nights ago?"

"Ongoing, but these have been particularly vivid. I don't know who to talk to, who to turn to. I'm afraid if I open up to you, you'll just tell me what I want to hear."

"Carmen, you've known me your entire life. When have I ever told you anything you've wanted to hear?"

"Touché" Carmen sighed. "I went to Boston two nights ago. You guys were out and Player had news V.I.L.E. was up to something. Then I thought I could stop them and possibly settle Zack and Ivy's debt."

"The missing money?" Shadowsan asked.

"Exactly. Some stuff happened, but they're paid up and V.I.L.E. was defeated."

"So, what exactly is the problem? Why not explain any of this to the Twins, they'd be thrilled."

"I just...I can't quite shake this feeling I've been having, Shadowsan. It all started when Jules told me off when I told her no. It got inside my head. I feel like all this time, all this work we've put in for the greater good—to take down V.I.L.E. and help the less fortunate...it's catching up to me. True, Jules said something about it, but, who knows who else I've hurt? How many lives have I ruined to achieve my goals and long before Zack and Ivy get wise and realize that too? Or you?"

"Does it look like I have anywhere to go? Or the Twins, or you? Look, whatever Julia Argent put into your head, it is untrue. You have spent all this time forging a true path of good using only the skills you know" Shadowsan explained. "The more you let this consume you, the more you are likely to make mistakes, and I know how you feel about making mistakes on your missions" he continued.

Carmen sighed, he was right. "You're right, yet I can't shake this feeling. Maybe it does have something to do with finding my mother and my mind can't manifest my frustration any other way. I just feel like I need to know something about my past. Like if I knew who I could've been it can help shape who I am in the future. What was Dexter like?" Carmen asked.

"Unfortunately, like I said, he was barely around, but he was a man of action and principle. He certainly had a wild side. I know he worked in some sort of intelligence before joining a life of crime but I think it may have been for a government agency. I wish I had more to tell you, but even when he was around Dexter Wolfe was a ghost."

"That's okay" Carmen sighed. "It was nice to vent a little."

"Bottling up your emotions is no way to go about life" Shadowsan urged her. "You need moments like this. You are not weak because you feel, remember that."

Carmen gave a slight smile and a light nod. "I will."

Shadowsan walked with Carmen to the checkout. "But Boston, that's between you and me. I wanted to do something nice and I don't want Zack and Ivy knowing about it. I just want to know I did good without the need for praise. They've done so much for me, they deserved this."

"Fine, I will respect that."

SEATTLE WASHINGTON 1020 HOURS

Julia had gotten to work inside A.C.M.E.'s state-of-the-art filing room where the vast majority of the files were already electronic. But Julia had other plans. Towards the back were ancient filing cabinets from before much data was logged in via computers at large. Much of these new files had to be backlogged into the system by hand and of course Julia was right there to volunteer.

She knew A.C.M.E. had electronic files on Dexter Wolfe, it was the reason Carmen hacked their servers and gained Chief's ire. But Julia and her nerdy wisdom knew there were special files from varied cases pre-A.C.M.E. yet to be filed, and hoped to find a breakthrough in something she could use as knowledge to psychologically torture Carmen.

She smiled as she rifled through the cabinets looking for some sort of clue that would give her the answers she sought. After ransacking the cabinets Julia finally came to a cabinet that was almost glued shut. The label on the front of the cabinet read: DO NOT TRANSFER TO ONLINE DATABASE. "Bingo" Julia smirked.

She looked through the coffee stained dividers and manila colored folders until one caught her eye. The title on the label read: WOLFE, DEXTER (ACTIVE). Jackpot. This was clearly before he was killed. And stamped on the file in red was: CLASSIFIED. She looked around, no one was in the room with her and the security cameras did not face her.

Julia sat at a nearby desk and gleefully looked through the folders. Contained within were info she already knew, along with a bunch of case files many lines of writing were redacted. But Julia wasn't interested in that. She saw that several cassette tapes had been in the folder as well, and Julia smirked upon seeing them.

Julia had stashed the file but grabbed the tapes and left the filing room with a semblance of urgency. She requisitioned a tape recorder from the quartermaster and walked through the halls of A.C.M.E. She stashed the recorder in her jacket upon seeing Chief round a corner.

"Agent Argent. It's good to see you back. How are you holding up?"

"I've never felt better in my life" Julia said confidently.

"Oh, well that's fantastic, actually. Good."

"And I promise you Chief, my resolve in capturing Carmen Sandiego has never been stronger. I promise you results will be forthcoming."

"That's quite bold Argent, I like that" Chief nodded. "I hope you also have resolve for V.I.L.E.'s newest agent."

"Marauder. Yes, I've heard things. I've heard she's quite the contender."

"Well she won't be for long. I should hope you also apologized to Agent Zari?"

"Of course, and don't worry, such outbursts will never happen again."

"Excellent. You're on your way, Agent Argent, soon perhaps you'll make Special Agent too."

Julia's eye twitched and she clenched her fists but quickly regained her composure. "It's everything I've ever wanted."

"And someday you shall have it. But again, it's good to have you back." The two parted ways.

Cut to the nearest ladies room. Julia had barricaded herself n a stall. She had headphones connected to the tape recorder as she listened to the very personal contents. Julia snickered at one tape in particular. Satisfied, she opened one earbud and put her phone up to her ear and whispered.

"Professor Maelstrom? I have what I need...yes, I'll be ready" Julia cut the call.

And I thought about ending it there, but I can do better than that. Julia had stashed her belongings and headed off to her desk, she heard the familiar mission alert alarm and smiled, knowing exactly what that meant.

She rushed over to her desk where Chase had just shut down his computer. Julia put on her best and sincerely nervous face. "The mission alert? What's the trouble?" she asked him.

"Crime Net says V.I.L.E. has two operations simultaneously, Phenom Penh, and Vatican City."

"Oh well, we should take the Vatican" Julia insisted.

Chase was about to move but stopped. "Why?"

"Because—because the historical artifacts are far rarer, Cambodia is probably a smoke screen" she explained.

Chase scratched his chin, but fortunately, he's an idiot. "You may have a point Miss Argent. I'll have our task force sent to the Vatican."

"Whew" Julia sighed of relief.

"Are you coming?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Are you sure you are up to it? First day back and all?" Chase asked her.

"Oh, I'm ready Special Agent Devineaux" Extreme Close-up. "Very ready."

And again, should I have ended it there, probably, but I can still do better gosh darn it!

SKIES OVER MEDITERRANIAN SEA 1712 HOURS

Through Player's snooping, the gang had gotten a mission alert of their own. As predicted, Carmen, clad in her mission gear, was joined in a private jet racing off to The Vatican with Zack and Ivy, the were video messaging Player via laptop.

"Boy, V.I.L.E.'s getting real brazen. Two capers at once?" Zack complained.

"Cambodia is the perfect mission for Shadowsan" Carmen interjected. "And while he's out scoring big in the far east we'll be heading out to the Vatican. What do you got, Player?" Carmen asked the computer genius.

"Vatican City is the world's smallest recognized sovereign state in both population and size. It's entirely eclipsed within the city of Rome Italy. It's the home of the Catholic Church and with a millennium of rich history" Player explained.

"What would V.I.L.E. want with that, exactly?" Ivy asked.

"There's a ton of things they could steal. Dome of the Sistine Chapel, the Pieta statue made by Michelangelo, as well dozens of paintings and artifacts" Carmen added.

"And were not gonna let them get away with it!" Zack commented.

"No were not" Carmen nodded. "Not by a longshot."

"There not a lot in the chatter about what V.I.L.E. wants exactly, in fact, it's as if it's some big secret" Player added.

A determined Carmen smirked. "Doesn't matter, cause whatever it is, were not gonna let them have it, not while we have the greatest crew in the world."

"Where?" Zack half joked, earning a slap from his sister.

"You sure you're up to this, Carm? You've been acting awfully funny these past couple of days" Ivy asked.

"I'm fine Ivy" Carmen lied. "And I will be seeing Marauder in handcuffs."

"That's a sight I'd like be in on" Ivy pounded her fist into her opposing palm. "I got a little special present for her after she nearly dropped me off a museum balcony in D.C."

"The Vatican's not that big. It's a safe bet they'll be after something in the museums or in St. Peter's Basilica. I'll handle the ground game in the Basilica and Zack and Ivy, you take the museums" Carmen ordered. The twins nodded and made a high five. IT'S GO TIME!

VATICAN CITY 1803 HOURS

A.C.M.E. was the first to touch ground, and were clearing the various courtyards outside the administrative buildings towards the less traveled western edge of the micro-state. The agents had their stun guns drawn and made a police line.

They were coming to a courtyard near the city's center. Multiple buildings were surrounding them. "Keep your distance, team" Chase called. "You never know who may be lurking about" little did he know. "When we get past this courtyard, we will split up into teams and search for our enemies separately."

Something seemed oddly quiet. Really quiet. Nobody was around this particular courtyard except for the agents. Only the pigeons flying away could be heard, their wings fluttering in the Italian breeze. Suddenly, they heard a loud POP sound out of nowhere.

"Gun!" One agent called.

"Take cover!" Chase shouted.

More pops rang out and the agents found any piece of cover they could. It was absolute mayhem. Julia ran through the courtyard as the agents were too distracted finding cover to notice her. She took cover near a building and looked back, panting. No one noticed her run off. Perfect. She slipped away as more popping noises filled the courtyard.

Julia sprinted to the only train station in Vatican city, and there already waiting behind the ticket booth were Tigress, Le Chevre, Paper Star, and El Topo. "Is everybody ready?" Julia asked.

"Couldn't be more ready" Le Chevre rubbed his hands together.

"You should slip into something a little less...A.C.M.E." Tigress smirked.

"Oh, I intend to. The museums are across the city over there, but my agents will be pinned down for at least fifteen minutes" Julia explained.

"Let's hope it's enough" Paper Star sneered, walking past her. She was joined by El Topo and Le Chevre.

"I wish I could see the look on Carmen Sandiego's face. What are you gonna do to her?" Tigress asked.

"I'll give you all the details later" Julia cooed, scratching under Tigress's chin. They gave each other a quick kiss and Tigress left. Julia undid her jacket and blouse, revealing her Marauder uniform under it.

Elsewhere in The Vatican, Carmen was snooping around St. Peter's Basilica. She gazed upon the massive cathedral in front of her, and immediately thought this would be the perfect place to try and steal something.

Her wheels turning, Carmen entered the Basilica, and was immediately in awestruck when she entered. "Wow."

The Basilica was a massive work of art. She looked through the halls and pews, marveling at the golden statues, the marbled columns, and the ornate artwork throughout. She walked towards the alter, noting the large wooden throne near its front. She looked to her left and saw a perfect statue of the Virgin Mary holding Baby Jesus in swaddling clothes. Carmen was very moved. She had traveled the world over and saw much art in her day, but there was something about seeing something new that always reminded her why she does what she does.

"It's beautiful."

"Michelangelo designed it."

Carmen turned to her right and saw a man sitting in the first pew. He was older and wearing an all-white gown. Carmen approached the man. "He was quite the artist."

"He certainly was. But how he was able to stand Clement VII I'll never know" he explained in a Spanish accent.

"Your accent" Carmen said. "Where's it from?"

"Argentina."

"Small world. That's where I was born."

"It truly is a small world, is it not? A small world with big plans" he pointed above. "What brings you to The Holy See today?" he asked.

"Oh, just visiting."

This man saw right through Carmen's little white lie. He raised an eyebrow. "I don't know much, but I know when a person is lying. You have nothing to fear from the truth, young one. This is a safe place."

Carmen nodded. It hit her, about what Shadowsan had explained about bottling up her emotions. She didn't know this man and figured he may or may not be telling her what she wanted to hear, but at least she could hash out how she was feeling. She took off her hat, and sat next to the man.

"I've done some bad things, but it was in the name of good" she explained. "I'm a thief, a pretty good thief, but still a thief."

"Why do you steal?"

"I steal from those—certain people who stole from other people. Money, works of art, technology, that's why I am here today. Those very people might be trying to steal from one of the museums, or perhaps that statue there" she motioned to the Mary statue.

"Sin is such a strange and complicated factor. What you are describing is quite righteous. You do what the authorities cannot I would imagine."

"There's more. I've hurt people—one person in particular" Carmen continued. "I feel as though in my goals I've become toxic, as if I'm only concerned with the next mission. Everyone has a place, and I think that line of thinking cost me a great friend and a valuable ally."

"Have you offered apologies?"

"I've tried, I don't think she's interested in speaking to me. I don't have much in this world, but my friends always kept me whole, and I feel like my overzealousness is pushing them away" Carmen added.

"The mark of a truly awful person would either not realize their offenses or be content with them, you've offered one thing that is fleeting in this modern world...repentance" the man explained. "Where I come from, that's the first step to redemption."

"Seems a bit jaded" Carmen countered.

"Trust me, even if it is for self-betterment, it's the perfect first step. You have asked for forgiveness, but perhaps have you forgiven someone who has wronged you?" the man asked.

"Are you kidding? I couldn't get close to the people who wronged me without them..." The Carmen paused. "Well, there might be one."

"Continue to ask forgiveness from your friend, treat them as your equal, and have them understand your position. But you must also understand it takes the mark of a good natured person to accept forgiveness even when the person does not deserve it. Trust me, I've been on this planet long enough to know what works. I promise you it will not be easy, but the reward is better than any of the riches on earth" he finished.

Carmen smiled. Wow, it took this old man with his old yet positive views of the world to make the red coated heroine realize what she had to do. She would continue to apologize to Julia even if she wouldn't accept it, but Carmen had a feeling she would, Jules was a good person after all...

And of course she knew of just the person who she could forgive. She didn't feel whole again, but she did feel better, something she hadn't felt in a long time. She hated it when Shadowsan was right, but when he was, it was worth all the effort.

She put on her hat and stood up. "Thank you. That was really good advice."

"Of course my child. Whom do I call you?" he asked.

"Carmen. Carmen Sandiego."

"Francis" he said, offering Carmen his hand. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Carmen Sandiego. I hope you go in peace."

"Thank you, Francis. You should get to safety though, I meant what I said, they will steal and they don't care who they hurt" he nodded and Carmen headed down the aisle. About halfway down Carmen started to realize something...there was something familiar and accessible about the man she just opened her heart and soul to. She had an ah-ha moment and it hit her like a ton of bricks. "Wait a minute, aren't you the—" but as Carmen turned around, Francis had vanished. She then smiled and took off down the aisle.

Outside towards the museums, Zack and Ivy were roaming the grounds hoping to find something...and boy did they.

"Boy, for a tiny city this place is huge" Zack commented.

"Yeah, you think V.I.L.E. already—"

"Ivy, look!" Zack interrupted his sister. They looked out towards the museum and saw El Topo and Le Chevre enter through a side door. The twins looked at each other.

"Good eyes, bro. Let's take them down!" they sneaked off towards the museum.

Carmen was already roaming the upper floors of one of the museums. She got a call on her phone. "Ivy?"

"Carm! V.I.L.E.'s on the first floor of the main hall of the museum!"

"I'm a building away I think, I'll be there!" she quickly hung up.

Carmen put her phone away and rounded a corner. She saw a stairwell near the middle of the hall and saw the last glimpse of a familiar silhouette walk down them. The sleuth Carmen sneaked over to the steps. At the foot of them she looked down.

Carmen's eyes widened, it was clearly a photo of her father, standing alone. Carmen picked it up. "What in the...?"

She looked down the steps, and it was littered with photos. Carmen followed them down, picking up the photos. Like a trail of breadcrumbs Carmen continued to the first floor. She got to the hallway and was taken aback, so much so she dropped the photos she was holding.

The hallway was littered with photos of Dexter Wolfe. Some were of him alone, but many featured him with Countess Cleo, others with him and Coach Brunt, some with the three of them, and finally, with all the V.I.L.E. faculty. Carmen walked like a wide-eyed Zombie through the halls, when she came to its end, she looked in front of her, and there waiting, smile on was Marauder. She held up the watch. Carmen's eyes narrowed.

"To Vera, my star, my light" Marauder read the inscription, almost taunting Carmen in doing so. "Now we can be together and start our life together as it should be, Love Dex" she finished, looking up at Carmen. "Why put together twice in the same inscription? Tsk tsk, Dexter Wolfe may have been a good thief but what lousy grammar."

"You" Carmen sneered. "How did you get these?"

"I have my ways. You didn't think V.I.L.E. had information on a former faculty member? Especially quite a remarkable one at that. I bet you would've continued his legacy, wouldn't you? Should he have stayed." Carmen's blood started to boil. "That's right Carmen Sandiego, I know he was your father. And I know so much more that you never did. I know him better than you. This watch? I suppose it would have went to someone named Vera. A mother perhaps?"

"I'll break you in two" Carmen snarled.

Marauder scoffed and slipped the watch over her wrist. "But if you do that, you won't hear the wonderful recording I have of your father's voice."

Carmen paused. "What? H-how would you have that?"

"Again, I have my ways. This particular recording is very interesting. It's a two person conversation taking place in the spring of 1999. I imagine this was not long after you were born? The first voice you will hear is your father's...the second voice...is of someone else you know a bit personally."

"Don't play games, who is it!?" Carmen sneered.

"Hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm" Marauder snickered and held up the tape recorder. "Someone who took something very personal from your father...his life" she thumbed the PLAY button, and the screen cuts to black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading...and for being adults about the content. Leave a comment with your suggestions and I'll update soon!


	8. ...For I Have Sinned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this week's thrilling chapter, We learn more about the mysterious Dexter Wolfe in a candid and foreboding conversation with The Chief from diners past, V.I.L.E. makes another getaway thanks to Marauder, while Julia plans a new heist with Tigress while Carmen deals with her own insecurities and actions while confronting Chief about the conversation leading Chief and Chase Devineaux to grow suspicious about who the real Marauder actually is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this chap is going to be particularly dramatic, you've been warned

23 APRIL 1999

BLOOMFIELD NEW JERSEY 0845 HOURS

Inside this wholesome diner/confectionary/ice cream parlor known as Holsten's, sits a grizzled and well-dressed man in one of the diner's booths. We know him as Dexter Wolfe. He flips through the table jukebox, flicking some cigarette ash into a nearby ash tray.

That's right, kids. You used to be able to smoke in restaurants.

Dexter is looking at a muted TV playing a news clip of the then recent tragedy in Columbine Colorado. He flicks more ash into the tray and checks a Rolex watch. Looking up again he sees someone enter the diner. Tom's diner by Suzanne Vega plays at another person's table.

The woman is African-American, with a curly haircut and wearing a three piece suit. We know her as The Chief. An overly eager hostess greets her.

"Welcome to Holsten's, smoking or non-smoking?"

She looks over to the corner booth and locks eyes with the man. "Actually I'm here seeing someone, he's over there."

"Oh, well perfect" the hostess led the woman back to Dexter's table while he continues to look through the table jukebox. Chief sat down. "Can I start you off with some coffee?"

"Yes, cream and sugar, too."

"You got it" the hostess then disappeared.

"Dexter."

"You see that?" he pointed to the TV, speaking in a gruff but dulcet voice. "Over a dozen children slain, plus a teacher. For what? When you were younger, did you hear anything like that? I didn't."

"Cut the crap, Dex. You called me here for a reason and you are beyond lucky I am alone. It took every fiber of my being not to bring a swarm of Interpol agents with me."

"Really? You're losing your touch, Tammy. Here I thought I'd have to lam it out the back the moment I saw you. But we're actually going to have a civil conversation?" he asked, nursing a coffee in front of him. "Are you actually interested in what I have to say?"

"Don't call me Tammy, Dex" she sneered.

"Don't call me Dex, Tammy."

"You have five minutes and not one second longer."

"Ooh, let's see if I can find a song in that time frame" he flipped through the play list on the jukebox. "Don't Stop Believin'? Gimme Shelter? Ooh, how about Baby Blue. Badfinger never got the respect they deser—"

Chief slammed her fists on the table, getting a few glares from several patrons who quickly went back to their business. "You're unbelievable, you know that? All the work you've done, all the good and all the crimes solved, so you can shove all that away for some wanton life of crime?"

"Tell you what, give me eleven minutes and thirty seconds" Dexter put a quarter in the jukebox and played The End by The Doors. "Remember when we would go on missions and hoping a The Doors song would play on the radio?"

"I'm not here to play "remember when" with you, Dexter. What. Do. You. Want?" The hostess returned with a cup of coffee. "Thank you" Chief groaned.

"I'll get your waitress over to you."

"No rush" Chief deadpanned.

"Okie-dokie" The hostess then disappeared again.

"Now, what?"

"I want out of the game, for good." Dexter explained.

"Which game? The game where you're an internationally renowned thief to some shadowy organization or where you give up the life of a law abiding intelligence agent—oh wait, you already did that."

"You know, you never miss an opportunity to just cut right to the heart, don't you?" Dexter asked, crossing his arms. "You ever stop and think why I left The Agency? Or Interpol for that matter?"

"Because you're a reprehensible thief?" Chief asked.

"No. I could've been a thief, I could've been an intelligence agent, either would've suited me just fine. I couldn't stand you. That's why I left."

"Well you weren't exactly a fun co-worker either, Dex. Your arrogance and your childish attitude drove me crazy."

"Well then we're even, because you're still a psychotic, angry, by-the-books know-it-all and I'm still the arrogant jerk."

"Oh, we are far from even" Chief reached into her coat pocket and Dexter felt a bit spooked. "Calm down" she pulled out several prescription bottles. She held up one to his face. "What is this, Dexter?"

"Pills?"

"What does the label say?"

"Prozac."

"That's right. I take two of these every day and have been for over twelve years and you want to know why? Because you have driven me to a life of depression and despair."

Dexter rolled his eyes. "Oh, poor you. Same old Tamara, blaming your problems on everyone else but you. No wonder you got divorced."

"Up yours" Chief scoffed, taking her medley of medication. Dexter took a look at one of the bottles right after Chief popped the pill.

"Wait, is that one Lithium?"

"Yes, why?"

"You're taking Lithium with Prozac?"

"What are you, a psychiatrist now?" Chief asked.

"No, but I've been watching that new drama on HBO, the one about the mobster in therapy?"

"The Sopranos. I've heard of it."

"Yeah. And the Gandolfini character was taking both medications and had a hallucination that there was a good looking woman in his neighbor's yard—that's not the point, he was hallucinating. You have a gun and authority and you're taking two medications that cause one to have delusions of grandeur."

"I've been fine."

"Maybe I'm asking the wrong person here."

"With what?"

"I told you I wanted out but then you had to go an open old wounds when I'm coming here hat in hand."

"Well you had to go right to your guns what did you think I was gonna do? We didn't exactly leave on good terms and we're not playing for the same team anymore, Dexter. So excuse me if I'm a little skeptical." Chief took a deep breath. "I'm assuming you have information for me?"

"Whatever you need. Names, dates, bank accounts, safe houses, and a home base."

"Why want out? You seemed content with your new shadowy organization?"

"I realized stealing isn't a game. It hurts people. Good people, bad people, it's not victimless. Yeah I'm good at it. I like it, and I feel alive when I do it but I can't sit idly by and watch more people get hurt because of people like me."

Chief took a sip of her coffee. She wasn't convinced. "You're a terrible liar, Dex. Always were. What's the real reason?"

Dexter sighed, looking into his own coffee cup. "I'm not lying."

"Then there's more to this story. I want the truth."

"Fine. I met a woman, and we just had a daughter."

"Congratulations."

"Don't patronize me, Tammy" Dexter warned. "It's been a harrowing experience keeping them both a secret. And there's more..." Dexter then looked away. "She's uh—not doing so well. She's dying. I don't want to live in a world where my daughter is an orphan, or raised by thieves. So I want out."

Chief looked at Dexter, she could tell there was something he wasn't telling her. "My-my, the mighty Dexter Wolfe needs help. I never thought I'd see the day."

"Tamara—"

"You know, I am thrilled to bits you requested this clandestine little meeting Dex because that right there makes it all the more worth it. What happened? Find some random woman and decided to settle down? Or are you just getting too old for the—"

Dexter grunted. "Have you ever looked in a newborn's eyes and had your entire perspective changed? No, you don't. Because your ex left you the moment he found his brain and realized you're married to your work—well not me. I want out so I can have a normal life with my daughter!"

Chief chuckled. "With all due respect, Dexter, you and I both know that isn't going to happen."

Dexter's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"What do you think is going to be the case? Give up your shady organization to me and suddenly all your crimes are just wiped clean?"

"And that's why I've called you here. I am asking for immunity in exchange for every—"

Chief laughed out loud, doing her best not to cause a scene in this modestly sized diner. "You dragged me all the way out to the middle of nowhere in New Jersey to request the impossible?"

"It's not impossible, you have a lot of sway with Interpol, and we both still know people in the CIA."

"This is too much" Chief wiped away a tear from laughing so hard.

"This isn't a joke, Tamara."

"Yes it is. There is no way I am going to get you immunity, even if I could."

"You know you can, you just won't" Dexter sneered.

Chief smirked, taking another seemingly victory sip. "It's funny, I was truly hoping that's what you wanted to talk about. I mean, what else would it have been? You secretly invite me for this clandestine meetup when were not on good terms and we never really were; what else could you have wanted?" she took another sip. "I'm glad I was right because I get to see the great Dexter Wolfe in all his arrogant glory begging his former partner for a deal."

"Tamara, you know you have the—"

"I don't have the pull to guarantee anything, Dexter. Certainly not immunity, the President can pardon you, but he's not exactly Mr. popular right now."

"So that's it, then?"

"No, I have an obligation to bring criminals to justice, but that's on your terms. And if you think I'll negotiate anything special because you gave up your organization, you've got another thing coming. I've spent years hunting you people down, and right now I'm willing to throw all that progress away, because I know what you'll do so I don't have to worry about you getting some hush-hush sweetheart deal" Chief continued. "First, you'll get sloppy, you'll leave a clue here, a fingerprint there, then more agencies start pursuing you, then local law enforcement has your photo, then warrants get handed down, and it's only a matter of time before it's between you or them. And I'm hoping I'm the one that gets that honor."

"Tammy, I have a dying wife and a baby girl—"

"And how is that my problem, exactly? And now—because I know you, you'll leave her, run away like you always do, and she'll grow up an orphan. I could look after her if it means that much to you. Mold her in my image perhaps."

"Over my dead body" Dexter fumed.

"That can be arranged. But am I wrong? You'll put her life in danger if it means you make a clean getaway, am I right?" she asked.

Dexter was about to make a witty comeback or some kind of remark, but he froze. He looked away again, pausing. Chief smiled, she knew that would be the case because she knew Dexter Wolfe and who he was, a man who despite being at the end of his rope wouldn't go quietly.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. You're no father, you're a menace. When I sat down you asked me if anything like Columbine ever happened when I was growing up, and no, because it was a different world. Yeah sure, rife with institutional racism, sexism, and bigotry but I suppose the tradeoff was you could go to the corner store and come back alive. And the world was free from people like you, Dexter Wolfe. You remember there was that line you always fed to me from that thief named McCauley, they made a movie loosely about him a few years ago: "do not attach yourself to anything you cannot leave forever in thirty seconds flat when you feel the heat coming round the corner", and that's your philosophy, always was, and always will be. So, why don't you do me a favor and give that poor daughter of yours up for adoption because I promise you, she'll be better off."

Dexter smashed the butt of his cigarette into the ashtray as the song started to fade. "So that's it then? You can't truly help me?"

"I can do what I can, but I will make zero guarantees" Chief answered matter-of-factly.

"Fine, then this is as far as we go" Dexter stood up from the booth. "It's my own fault, thinking you'd actually help."

"Next time we meet Dex, and you know we will...I will not hesitate to take you down, the question is, what will you do?"

Dexter glared, he reached into his pocket and threw down a twenty dollar bill on the table, he gave Chief one final stare-down. "Oh but Dex, I came all the way here, surely you can give me one little bit of info for my trouble, can't you?" Chief said in a mocking tone.

"The organization I work for? We're pretty vile. But not as much as you" he turned to an approaching waitress. "She's ready to order" Dexter turned, stomping to the door and walking outside, letting it slam in his wake. Chief triumphantly scratched her chin. "Hmm, vile, eh?" she reached into her jacket, pulling out a tape recorder and speaking directly into it. "This is Inspector Tamara Fraser, Interpol, April twenty-third, 1999, Holsten's diner Bloomfield New Jersey. Just finished conversation with suspect: Dexter Wolfe, will continue to pursue suspect. Consider "vile" as a possible name for the shadowy underworld syndicate we've been seeking to destroy" with that she slammed her thumb on the stop button, ending the recording.

PRESENT DAY

VATICAN CITY 1933 HOURS

We fade into the present. We see Carmen's shocked face. Her father. His voice. Chief's petty and seditious attitude towards him. It was too much. Big fat tears streamed down her eyes as she stared off blankly.

Marauder put the recording away in a holder on her belt, giddily relishing in Carmen's abject misery. "My-my" she mocked. "I didn't think Tamara Fraser had it in her. Well, I see where you get your selfish nature from. Perhaps its hereditary. Because it is obvious you were left essentially to die. Some father."

Carmen clenched her fists. There is no musical score, we hear only Carmen's sniffles and choking up. Her father may not have been acting in her best interests as Shadowsan surmised, but was only in it for himself...and never mind Chief's actions! For someone who cared so much about taking down V.I.L.E. she sure let all that go out the window if it meant leaving her father out to dry.

What exactly was their rift? What did he do? All this meshed with Carmen's own present insecurities and now the depression was reaching a full circle. Carmen narrowed her teary eyes at Marauder who had deliberately did this to her.

One saving grace, Carmen knew her father was lying about her mother dying...right? I mean, it was obvious by the empty grave that Vera Cruz wasn't in it, but then where? There were zero clues from the recording. Still, he had left her there in an attempt to escape, so Chief definitely partially wasn't wrong in her spite-filled rant.

But regardless, Carmen was angry. Like really, REALLY angry. And look at the perfectly evil easy target in front of her. She furrowed her brow and clenched her teeth as more tears streamed down from her face as Marauder continued to mock her.

"I thought my life as filled with such dysfunction but your life might be the winner. I wonder what would have happened if—"

Marauder couldn't finish the sentence before Carmen snapped and lunged, pinning Marauder against the nearest wall. She stared daggers at the masked woman and while Marauder made small attempts to break free, she laughed.

"Hah-hah-hah-hah. That's right, Miss Sandiego. Get angry."

"I'm past angry. Where. Did. You. Get. These?" Carmen hissed.

"Do you really think I'll merely divulge that information to you? You're a bigger fool than I thought."

"I will end you" Carmen sneered.

"Ooh, that's a bit dark for you. Could it be the great Carmen Sandiego has finally snapped? That doesn't fit your goody two-shoes persona now does it?"

"Why are you torturing me like this? WHY!?"

"Villains International League of Evil. What exactly did you think the "evil" part stood for, hmm? We only commit larceny? Or do we do what we can to ensure our capers are successful? Even if that means destroying those who stand in our way" Marauder explained. "See, if you passed crime school, you'd understand that."

"It was rigged! I was cheated out of—that's not the point!" Carmen fumed. "First you make me choose my partner or the diamond and now you torment me with this!?"

"Yes of course, because while you're preoccupied with me, my team is ensuring the items we seek go safely into V.I.L.E. hands" Marauder continued.

Carmen sucker punched Marauder and threw her over her shoulder. Marauder recovered and unsheathed her kukri blades. "Yes but you forget, I have a pretty great team."

"Enough to stop Tigress, El Topo, Le Chevre, and Paper Star?"

"Oh, they can definitely—wait, Paper Star's here, too?" Carmen asked, now suddenly worried.

"Yes. Full house."

Carmen gulped and attempted to flee to help the soon-to-be-trapped Zack and Ivy. Marauder threw a blade, catching the shoulder of Carmen's jacket and pinning her to the wall. "No!"

"Oh no, you're not going anywhere" Marauder chuckled, approaching Carmen with her other blade.

Speaking of Zack and Ivy they were sneaking around the outside of the museum towards one of the entrances, unaware of the world of hurt they were about to enter. Inside that world of hurt, the four V.I.L.E. operatives were hard at work running Bellum's weird iron inventions along each tapestry.

"Out of anything in the world; state of the art lab equipment with nothing but free time, and she thought the best way to do this was a glorified iron" Tigress complained.

"At least they work" El Topo shrugged.

"And if they don't, it's on Doctor Bellum and not us" Le Chevre reminded them.

"It'll be on us if Marauder can't distract Black Sheep long enough" Paper Star huffed while Tigress glared at her. "What?"

"What the heck is your problem with her? Every one of our recent successes has been because of Marauder."

"Oui, she has been fantastic" Le Chevre agreed.

"You have to admit, Paper Star, she is a remarkable villain" El Topo piled on.

"And you're not over the fact she's not into men" Paper Star sneered in his direction. "Look, I don't trust traitors, even ones that come over to our side. They're either unstable or turncoats."

"You have ZERO right to refer to anyone as unstable" Tigress warned her. "Or...or are you jealous?"

Paper Star stopped for a moment. "What do I have to be jealous of?"

"I'll let you figure that one out on your own" Tigress said with a wink.

Paper Star gritted her teeth. Tigress went back to work, ironing out another tapestry, though she caught a glimpse of red out of the corner of her eye. It was Zack attempting to be sneaky, hiding behind a column. She smirked.

"Oh booooooooys" she cooed. "The idiot-patrol is here."

The twins groaned, their element of surprise ruined. They sighed and flipped out from cover in fighting stances. "Who you calling idiots?" Ivy asked.

"Um you two. That should've been obvious."

The four V.I.L.E. operatives dropped what they were doing and brandished their weapons of choice. Paper Star had a origami shuriken under between each finger, Tigress and El Topo showed a little claw, and Le Chevre did a flip, cause he's good that way.

"What? Four against two ain't fair" Ivy complained.

"Ah but I seem to recall someone saying you do not play fair" Le Chevre mused, reminding them of a similar line.

"And didn't we refer to them as the idiot-patrol?" Zack asked Ivy.

"Does it matter?" A frustrated Ivy asked Zack.

"So, you wanna run away screaming or take a beating?" Tigress asked. "I still owe you two dolts for your cat jokes in Botswana."

The twins gulped but tried to look tough. "You're gonna take the beating!" Ivy promised her.

"Oh, and I owe you for walloping my head in D.C. I gotta lot of things to pay forward" Tigress smirked.

"Bring it on!"

The twins charged, as did the other agents...well, it's go time.

Speaking of actual GO TIME, Carmen grabbed the kukri pinning her jacket to the wall and faced Marauder, the two circled one another. "Let's see how well you do against V.I.L.E.'s finest" Marauder mused. Carmen said nothing. "No comebacks? No condescending remark that I don't know what I'm doing? No—"

Before she could continue, Carmen lunged and the two connected steel. Carmen then went for a side swipe but Marauder jumped and kicked Carmen right in the face, knocking her hat right off. The Latina grimaced as she got to her feet.

"I'm through being nice" Carmen hissed.

"You were never nice!" Marauder scorned her. "You're fake. You only care about yourself!"

Carmen paused. Damn, this "new" villain really knew just which wounds to open up. Nevertheless, Carmen persisted.

She lunged and Marauder attempted to filet her with her sword but Carmen dodged and elbowed Marauder in the face, knocking her over and knocking the blade from her hands. Carmen charged.

"Aw, did I break your new toy?" she asked in a condescending tone.

Marauder got to her back and kicked Carmen when she got too close. Marauder got to her feet and made a roll, bowling an unsuspecting Carmen over, and that kukri was knocked form her hands. Carmen fought to get neutral as Marauder jumped on top of her. Carmen had Marauder's wrists pinned.

"Why don't we see the monster behind the mask" Carmen sneered.

"Only when it's the last image you'll ever see" Marauder promised her. Carmen flipped Marauder over her shoulders and the two got to their feet once more.

"You knew he was my father" Carmen huffed. "How? No way that cassette told you everything!"

"I'm that good" Marauder smirked. "You really should figure this out, Miss Sandiego; but I'm not like other V.I.L.E. operatives."

"Yeah, somehow you're even more rotten than their worst" The Latina snarled. "Those pictures! What did the faculty just divulge company secrets to you?"

"I asked, and they delivered. And I think an excellent bonus would be to deliver you on a silver platter!" Marauder lunged into a slide kick and knocked Carmen into another wall, toppling over an exhibit.

Carmen was forced to roll as Marauder grabbed one of the fallen blades and attempted to shish kabob the hero. Carmen got back to her feet. With her quick thinking and combat skills, she was able to disarm Marauder and got a few good punches in.

But that was what Marauder was hoping for. At the right moment she made a massive spin kick and socked Carmen right in the face, knocking her to the floor. Carmen's ears were ringing and her head was in the most excruciating of pain.

Carmen was slow to roll over, her vision was blurry, the ringing wouldn't stop. As Carmen adjusted her eyes to the lights above her there was a shadowy figure towering over her. Carmen was dismayed when their face came into view.

It was her...

Well, I mean, a version of her at least, with a twisted smile and bloodshot eyes. Her hand reached down and Carmen shook her head, seeing Marauder towering over her instead. Carmen feared for the worst.

Marauder put the tip of the blade right at Carmen's bruised face. "No" Marauder recoiled. "This simply isn't sporting. It would be simply marvelous to have the honor of defeating you over...and over...and over...and over again. That is far more amusing than turning you over now" Marauder chuckled, heading towards the hallway. She turned briefly to Carmen, slowly trying to get up as the ringing stopped. "Ta-ta, Carmen Sandiego. Remember my name" she chuckled before throwing down a smoke pellet and disappearing.

Carmen's tears returned as she limped to her feet, now more defeated than ever.

And speaking about being more defeated than ever, Chase Devineaux and company were still pinned down from the supposed gunfire. Anthony Falco made a crawl and jump to behind Chase's cover, which the Frenchman was not thrilled by.

"Chase! We gotta do something, my guy!" he screamed right into Chase's ear.

"Yes Anthony, and I can hear you just fine with your INSIDE VOICE!" Chase yelled...in his outside voice.

For a moment, the onslaught of rounds seemed to stop. Agent Zari peeked her head above cover. "I think they've stopped!" she called.

"What do we do, Special Agent?" Another agent called to Chase.

"Okay, I think we shall—"

Chase peeked up, but as he did, there were more pops from coming from the supposed guns. Everyone took cover again.

"How many bullets do they have!?" an exasperated Anthony yelled.

"Wait-wait, they've stopped again!" Chase shouted. He picked up his head again. "I think we—" more pops. He ducked behind cover...another moment and they've stopped. "Okay, that's gotta be—" a few more pops...silence. "Now that has to—" A few more gunshots...silence. "Now that has to—" and few more. "Seriously? This is—" two or three more. "This is getting—" two more. "This—" and five more. Now that the situation went from dramatic to comedy in three minutes, a thoroughly annoyed Chase stood up. "Sacre bleu! Just charge those buildings there!"

"Fix bayonets!" Anthony called.

"We don't have bayonets, Anthony" Chase facepalmed.

"Yeah, but I've always wanted to yell that."

The agents charged the buildings, and found nothing of interest on the first floor. Upon attempting to clear the second floor they found their jackpot. At each window in either building were stationary machine guns, roughly resembling a knockoff of the Russian PKM, a belt-fed machine gun. Remotes were attached to the triggers, each barrel was smoking and an ocean of spent brass was pooled below each gun.

"There's our culprits. Dismantle these guns!" Chase ordered.

"Yes sir!" An agent yelled. Chase walked around while the agents were taking apart the guns. A brass casing rolled towards Chase and he picked it up and briefly studied it. He was stunned to discover—

"Incroyable!"

"What's wrong?" a nearby Zari asked.

"We've been had, that's what's wrong! These are blanks!" Chase snarled throwing it against the wall.

"Blanks?" Anthony, also nearby, asked.

"Rounds made to look like real bullets but they do not fire anything. They're often used in cinema and television to make the guns more authentic" Chase explained.

"Why would V.I.L.E. go through all that trouble?" Zari asked.

"If you were V.I.L.E. would you risk killing a dozen agents to a shadowy espionage organization? You add a terrorist charge to their long list of felonies and we can get every law enforcement and intelligence agency in the world after them. Besides, it makes us look weak and powerless to have been defeated by proverbial smoke and mirrors" Chase explained. "They're good, I'll give them that."

"Good thing they were blanks. We could've been in a world of hurt if they were real" Anthony added. The other agents sighed in agreement, continuing to dismantle the guns.

Speaking of a world of hurt, a heavily yet comically injured Zack and Ivy found themselves tied to one of the columns, each incredibly bruised. Ivy had several of Paper Star's origami stars stuck in her hair. Their faces were incredibly scratched up.

Tigress was dragging one of the tapestries past them towards the outside. "Are we even?" a woozy Zack asked her.

"We're on two different sides, we're never even" she hissed.

"You know, I get that we're on different sides, but do you have to be so mean?" Ivy asked. "Are you like this all the time? Are you ever happy? Does anything make you happy?"

"Actually, there is someone that makes me very happy" Tigress smiled, condescendingly patting Ivy on the head.

"That poor guy" Zack groaned.

"Hmm-hmm, if only you knew" Tigress mused, patting his head as well before dragging the tapestry outside.

The bound twins stared at the now empty gallery of tapestries and only one thing was on their minds. "Carmen's gonna kill us" Ivy cried.

"Maybe if we explain that we fought valiantly?" Zack asked.

"Don't hold your breath, bro."

Outside, the villains stacked the tapestries out in the courtyard and Paper Star talked on her V.I.L.E. communicator. "The goods are ready for pickup" she said

"Roger that" Came Coach Brunt's voice on the other end.

Moments later, the V.I.L.E. chopper flew directly over the courtyard, a comically-sized magnet was attached below the bird. When it was directly over the tapestries, the powerful electromagnet, attracted by the obscene amounts of static electricity caused the stack of tapestries to be lifted up and caught themselves to the magnet.

The chopper landed as low as it could. Le Chevre and El Topo hopped aboard. Marauder came out from the museum and was pleased that the mission was going so well. She first ran into Paper Star.

"I trust Sandiego is incapacitated?"

"Very much so" Marauder nodded.

"Hmm, I'm sure it was luck" Paper Star sneered.

As she tried to walk away, Marauder grabbed her by the wrist. "It was more than luck, it was hard work and utilizing our skills we learned in crime school, perhaps if you tried a bit harder you too could effortlessly take down Carmen Sandiego the way I have" Marauder huffed. Paper Star got out of her grip and jumped onto the chopper, leaving only Marauder and Tigress. The two embraced.

"How'd it go?" she asked.

"Beautifully. She cried."

Tigress swooned. "Ah! I'd give anything to see that."

"Next time, my sweet" Marauder scratched Tigress under her chin. "I'll be off, but I'll see you shortly"

"I'd like that" Tigress winked before jumping onto the helicopter. Marauder gave a thumbs up to Coach Brunt who flew away with the chopper.

Marauder watched the helicopter safely fly away as she heard sirens in the distance. She ran back towards the A.C.M.E. agents, lowering the neck of her Marauder outfit, her A.C.M.E. suit underneath it.

Moments later, a defeated Carmen, with her fedora back on, limped over to the now empty gallery of tapestries. She was obviously dismayed at the sight, and was not surprised to see the defeated and wounded Zack and Ivy tied to a column.

"Carmen!" Ivy cried. Carmen said nothing. She got out her taser and the electric shock cut off the rope binding the twins.

"Carm, I know this looks bad" Zack mumbled.

"We did literally everything we could, even stuff we didn't think we could do" Ivy defended, pulling out one of Paper Star's origami shuriken from her hair.

"And there was four of them!" Zack added.

"And they blindsided us!" Ivy exaggerated.

"And they fought dirty!" Zack continued.

Carmen watched the twins frantically try and explain themselves. Carmen froze as she watched her two most loyal crew members babble and stumble over their words hoping Carmen wouldn't be mad at them for failing.

Carmen's feelings of toxicity the ones she's been grappling with for over a week came to fruition. This is the pain she caused. She was so obsessed with the missions, everyone and everything having a place to serve her goals that this is what the result was; two redheaded twins begging for her forgiveness when Carmen knew they did all they could and were outnumbered both in actual numbers and in skill.

Her feelings of her father's voice and how he was found its way into her head as well. Her tears formed again. And the twins continued their ramblings. Carmen merely leaned into the middle of them, giving them each a hug with each arm. She remembered her recent conversation about forgiveness and why it matters. There was no better time for it, and Carmen knew she needed some comfort too after the crushing blow she just felt.

The two stopped, this hug was completely uncharacteristic of her. "It's okay. Thank you" Carmen nodded.

"But...we messed up" Ivy said, stunned.

"You didn't mess up. V.I.L.E. was just more prepared. And they'll keep being prepared like this. They'll never stop. They'll fight as dirty as they can so they'll get what they want" a slight smile crept on Carmen's face as she wiped her tears away. "Are we gonna let that happen?"

"Heck no!" Ivy triumphantly shook her head.

"Never!" Zack called.

"Good" Carmen released from them both. "Come on, let's get out of here."

The two followed Carmen outside, and they headed for their own extraction point.

Julia was now back in her A.C.M.E. uniform. She saw the agents moving the pieces of the machine guns out into the courtyard as more authorities arrived. Julia took a deep breath and put on her best sad face, and made a fake limp. She hobbled over to Chase.

"Well-well, look who decided to join us" he greeted her with a slight sneer.

"And where were you, exactly?" Zari questioned her.

"I had escaped" Julia said in a somber whisper. "I managed to find where they were...and I ran into her."

"Her?" Zari asked. "Her being—"

"Yes. Marauder" Julia's villain training taught her a few things, and being a good actress was one of them. She forced herself to cry. "It was...it was awful. She is so rotten and evil. You don't even want to know the things she..." she continued to sob. Chase and Zari looked at one another. Perhaps they would've had something to say about Julia's story, but the two had been in a confrontation with Marauder—that being her, and Julia's vague and horrific description seemed to fit her M-O. Julia fell into Chase's arms. "I'm so sorry I've failed you, "Special" Agent Devineaux."

Chase looked at Zari and gently patted Julia on the back. "Um, there-there?"

"It's alright, Argent. Marauder's not like the other V.I.L.E. operatives" Zari consoled her.

"We should know. We're just glad you are alive" Chase nodded. "It is alright, I know you did—probably all you could" he said, still a jerk. While under his shoulder, Julia continued to cry but put on an evil smirk, her ruse worked perfectly. "Credit where it is due, you've done more than us. I'll have Chief put you in for a commendation."

"That would be wonderful" Julia smirked, but put her somber face back on.

SKIES OVER THE ATLANTIC OCEAN 1745 HOURS

The crew headed back over the Atlantic as time went backwards cause that's how the world works. The crew were not doing their usual victory celebration as they were in defeat but instead were quietly sitting on the leer jet in various spots.

Carmen was twiddling her thumbs. She rested against a couch. Ivy laid next to her, but was on her back, her legs up on the back of the couch, and her head dangling onto the floor. Zack was spinning around in one of the chairs.

"How do they do it?" she asked. "V.I.L.E., we've been kicking their butts from here to Helsinki up until a few days ago, what are they doing differently?"

Carmen looked over at Ivy's hilarious choice of laying position. "You have to ask?" she said, sort of back to normal. "It's Marauder."

"I've had zero contact with her so far, what's she like?" Zack asked.

"Consider yourself lucky" Ivy groaned.

"Ivy's right. I've known V.I.L.E. operatives my whole life, but none so much as embody their name quite like her. I don't think it's her so much as it's her intellect. She does more thinking and less fighting" Carmen added.

"What do you think her deal is?" Ivy asked.

"Her "deal" is that she's a psychopath" Carmen spat.

"She seemed to know exactly what to do, like she knew you or something" Ivy continued.

"V.I.L.E. probably categorized every one of our encounter and their subsequent failures and probably started training their new operatives in out-of-the-box tactics to take us down" Carmen explained, pacing about the cabin.

"You mean, there could be more Marauders?" a nervous Zack asked. "I haven't even faced her yet and you're telling me there could be more!?"

"It's entirely possible" Carmen sighed, sitting back down on the couch.

The twins could see the somberness in Carmen's eyes. They knew Marauder was sneaky and underhanded but this was different. Carmen had had some setbacks before, but none set her up quite like this.

"Carm, what aren't you telling us?" Zack asked.

"What?" Carmen snapped out of it. "Oh, nothing. Nothing at all."

Undaunted, the twins stared at her. Carmen sighed. "I don't know how she did it, but somehow...somehow she got a hold of some photos and...and I heard his voice."

"Whose voice?" Zack asked.

"My f—my f...my father's" Carmen could barely get the words out without choking up.

"Dexter Wolfe?" Ivy queried, so surprised she fell off the couch.

"Yeah. She somehow found a recording of him and The Chief. They knew each other apparently, used to work together. I don't think it was long before he died. He begged her—BEGGED to get out of a life of crime...and she rebuked him" Carmen clenched her fists. "That explains why he was stealing from V.I.L.E., building a network so he could eventually expose them, and he had to do it all on his own."

"Then he'd leave with baby-you and start a new life you and your ma?" Ivy surmised.

"Exactly. That all makes sense. There was more though. It—it really shook me up..." Carmen trailed. Both twins took a seat on either side of her.

"What was it?" Ivy asked as Carmen choked up.

"She said...she said after she wouldn't help him that he would leave me if he needed to in order to escape. And...he never denied that he wouldn't. He said nothing. My so-called father did leave that night to save himself. I doubt he would've come back for me."

"But Shadowsan said the place was surrounded with armed Interpol agents" Ivy explained. "He'd put you in danger if he took ya."

"Yeah but how can we prove he'd come looking for me?" Carmen asked. "I would have just been, just been some liability to him. Just an anchor preventing him from whatever goal he wanted to achieve. That's why Marauder showed me that clip. She wants me to dwell on the life I never had" she looked up at her two compatriots. "I've been having really terrible thoughts lately, and nightmares. I fear I'm being too toxic, too focused on the next mission—having too much resolve to eliminate V.I.L.E. And I think I've forgotten about all the great people I have around me and how I seem to be pushing them away, letting my own personal vendetta harming those around me."

"Carmen—"

"No Ivy. No. I definitely have been taking everything you guys have done for granted. You guys, Shadowsan, Jules...I don't know why but her words really put a lot in perspective for me. And I'm not even sure why it took her to put me in this position. But we have done so much good in the world and it's obvious with Marauder around we can't compete only focusing on stopping V.I.L.E." Carmen added. She stood up and walked to the swivel chair, sitting in it and turned to face the twins. She gripped onto the arms and rested her head, like Vito Corleone in his office directing his henchmen to take out a hit. "It's taking me so much to have to say these words but they need to be said: I don't care if we take some losses in the interim, but we NEED to have our focus be on making sure Marauder is apprehended by the authorities."

The redheads were taken aback. Carmen was always mission first. "Are you okay, Carm?" Zack asked.

"No, I'm not, Zack. And that's why we have to go in this direction. We know we're going to defeat V.I.L.E., it just may take us longer this way but the longer that...fiend is out there the more we risk our lives and our sanity. I don't care how long it takes and I don't know about you both but I want Marauder to rot in a prison cell for the rest of her life" Carmen sneered, gripping onto the arms of the chair. A smirk crept up on Ivy's bruised face. Taking Back Control by Sparta slowly begins to play.

"Wicked."

"So, are you guys in?" Carmen asked, putting her fist in for a dap.

The twins looked at each other, they didn't need much convincing. "Ride or die, boss" Zack nodded.

"Til the ends of the earth" Ivy agreed, and the three shared a dap.

Now, there would be a suitable place to end this chapter, but I can do better than that.

BATTLE CREEK MICHIGAN 1543 HOURS

Back at V.I.L.E. HQ, the faculty was in their trophy room, going over the fine tapestries. Bellum had an iPad with Julia on a Skype call. They were joined by Tigress, an uninterested Paper Star, and Dash Haber. The song faded.

"Ah, velvet" he swooned, feeling the material on the tapestry.

"Fine work, Marauder" Gunnar smiled looking over their collection.

"Um, we did the heavy lifting" Paper Star sneered.

"Yes, but incapacitating Carmen Sandiego is half the battle" Bellum reminded her.

"Why haven't we used Dexter Wolfe as leverage before?" Cleo asked, surveying the room. "Had I known it would have been this easy to make the little demon quiver we should have done that ages ago."

"I have access to special databases at A.C.M.E." Julia said over the iPad. "She was particularly moved by a startling cassette where Dexter Wolfe was planning to leave a life of crime. It was our Chief who eventually ended his life."

"Wait, what?" Gunnar asked as the others stopped.

"Oh, was it something I said?" Julia asked.

"Shadowsan was supposed to have killed The Wolf" Brunt scratched her chin.

"Well I hate to contradict you, Coach, but I have it on good authority it wasn't Instructor Roundabout's predecessor, but the Chief of A.C.M.E." Julia explained.

"That lying little snake" Brunt slammed her fists into the nearest wall. "Some badge whacked Wolf? No wonder A.C.M.E.'s been hot on our tails for over twenty years!"

"What difference does it make, really?" Gunnar asked. "Dead is dead" he reminded them.

Tigress saw Bellum had the iPad close to her chest and realizing they weren't paying much attention to Julia, she decided that she would. "Let me take that off your hands for you, Doctor Bellum."

"Oh, thank you, Tigress" she continued to inspect the tapestries while Tigress looked at her girlfriend via camera.

"Hey. I miss you."

"I miss you too."

"It sucks you gotta be all the way out there."

"It's okay, I'll see if I can visit this weekend" Julia suggested.

"Boo. I'll miss you too much" Tigress made a pouty face. Julia then thought for a moment, and her newly-evil brain hatched an idea, a smirk Tigress had gotten used to seeing. "Ooh, I like that face."

"What are you doing tomorrow night?"

"What do you mean?" Tigress asked.

"I was thinking we could...make our own fun."

"An unsanctioned heist?" Tigress asked. She looked around, no one was paying attention, particularly Paper Star. "What did you have in mind?"

"Imagine robbing making the United States Government look foolish, by taking something very precious from them...All the gold in Fort Knox" Julia mused.

"I like...but only two of us?" Tigress asked.

"Surely Dr. Bellum has a device to...make the process more manageable?"

"I'm sure I can find something. I'll see you then" Tigress swooned.

"Until then my Tiger" Julia blew her a kiss, and ended the transmission.

SKIES OVER MIDDLE AMERICA SAME TIME

Were in the A.C.M.E. leer jet. Julia was sitting in the bathroom toilet using her phone to communicate to the V.I.L.E. operatives. She happily put it away, giddy at the latest impromptu heist with somebody to love.

She exited to the main cabin where the mood was far more somber. All the A.C.M.E. agents were like a visiting football team that had just been defeated and spent the bus ride home dwelling on their loss.

Julia had to remind herself of her limp to keep up appearances. She past a nearly knocked out Agent Zari who looked as though she shot the English-Asian girl a steely glare. Julia ignored her and walked over to a table where Chase leaned against the window. Nearby was Anthony, who had fallen asleep to Chase's joy which only lasted a few moments as the idea of once again in the losing column was making the Frenchman depressed.

Julia took a seat across the table from him. "Special Agent Devineaux."

"Agent Argent" he sighed, taking a 5 Hour Energy shot from his breast pocket and quickly downed it. It was not his first.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Lousy. You?"

"The same, I suppose" Julia put her sad face back on. "I cannot believe I let her defeat me."

"Do not blame yourself. For once V.I.L.E. has an operative that knows what they are doing."

Julia perked up when she heard that. Chase NEVER gave her credit for ANYTHING...well, maybe admitting she was intelligent at times and even having a dream where he sought out her advice, but he never paid her credit where it was due.

Now, he was paying lip service to her villainous alter ego, and Julia drank it all up. "Go on..."

"I mean, you saw her. She is not playing around. She is crafty and what is more dangerous, she knows who we are. I think she has some sort of vendetta against myself and La Femme Rouge."

"Strange. Why the two of you?" a suddenly surprised Julia asked.

"Who knows? Probably smokescreen. But if we do not act fast, she will be doing more than knocking us out."

"she's vicious" Julia hissed, smirking briefly. "Cunning, dangerous."

"I agree. I've never faced anyone quite like her."

Julia perked, and almost blushed at the sight of such flattery, even if Chase didn't know he was making it at her. "Anyone? Even...even Carmen Sandiego?"

"As much as it pains me to say it...yes."

Julia practically swooned at this ironic newfound respect. She wanted to say something but knew she couldn't, all she could utter was—"Interesting observation."

"Why the sudden interest?" Chase asked.

"Oh, I want to know our enemies inside and out. I want to be as thorough an agent as yourself. But I guess I'd have to "burn the midnight oil" a bit more, then wouldn't i?"

"Who sleeps anymore?" Chase asked with a slight smile.

"And someday I will be as good as you..."Special" Agent Devineaux" Julia said before standing up and walking over to a nearby unoccupied couch. Chase's smile faded a little and he scratched his chin...

SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA 1311 HOURS

As time went back further, again because time, the jet-lagged crew returned to Carmen Brand Outerwear. Vincent and Gypsy had ordered Chinese for lunch. Takeout containers and the aroma of five spices and soy sauce filled the air.

"Oh!" Gypsy greeted the three, mouth full.

"How'd it go?" Vincent asked.

"Terrible." Carmen.

"Don't ask." Ivy.

My face was used as a scratching post!" Zack.

"Three unsatisfied customers" Gypsy shook his head.

"You guys want takeout? We got plenty." Vincent asked.

"Thought you'd never ask. Just no crab rangoons" Zack begged.

"Don't be a priss, they're delicious" Vincent insisted.

"They're a fish" Zack put his foot down. "Zack no like-y fishy"

"First off, crabs are a crustacean, not a fish" Gypsy reminded him.

"If it swims in the water I consider it a fish and therefore is off the table."

"Well, don't cows go swimming in ponds now and then to cool off? Are they fish?" Vincent asked, poking holes in Zack's shaky logic.

"Yeah and uh, what about pigs and chickens? Can't they take a dip? Are they fish?" Gypsy added.

"We are not having this conversation" Zack insisted, grabbing some food.

"Look, all I'm saying is, there's some holes in your master plan there, Zack" Vincent explained.

"Where's Shadowsan?" Carmen asked grabbing a pair of chopsticks, and a container of rice with some soy sauce packets.

"Still in Phenom Penh, I guess" Gypsy explained.

"If he checks in, let me know" Carmen ordered, taking he rice and heading for the stairs. "I've got some planning to do" she said ominously.

"That bad, huh?" Vincent asked.

"You have no idea" Ivy deadpanned, grabbing some General Tso's Chicken.

Carmen walked up to her room. She was content in her new resolve to have Marauder apprehended. She also appreciated Zack and Ivy's undying loyalty to her and how much their friendship meant, far more than the capers they've been on.

Everything kept hitting her brain constantly. Her nightmares, her future, her own insecurities. Then of course her brain wandered. It went to the dreaded recording. Carmen hated Marauder for making her listen to that...

...But...

She started to have resentment for Chief. True, it was Marauder who probably absconded with the tape from Chief's possession, but the actual contents really got under Carmen's skin. Her thoughts of her father's apparent self-serving attitude were gradually subsiding and replaced with rage at Chief's apparent lack of willingness to want to help her former friend wanting to take down the very organization she was trying to eliminate; and her unethical indifference to Dexter's situation, or even if he lived or died...

...Even if it was to be Chief who eliminated him, which by all accounts was the case. This was constantly eating away at Carmen as she charged into her room. She wished there was some way she could get some insight into Chief as to why she did what she did, and if anything prove that she wasn't so untouchable if Marauder was able to steal directly from her.

But how, though? Carmen knew Chief's address already thanks to the crew's snooping efforts in trying to give her the virus infected V.I.L.E. drive, but figured she wouldn't give out any information so easily, especially after Player had hacked them. The Latina sighed, but in her racing thoughts she put the container of rice too close to the edge of her desk and it fell to the floor, white rice spilling out. Carmen facepalmed.

"Ugh. Sure, why not" Carmen got on her hands and knees and tried to scoop up the mess. As she did, her attention was drawn to something under the bed...And her brain hatched an idea. Immediately she got on her phone and called Player.

"What's up, Red?" the boy genius asked. "How was—"

"Player, I need one ticket to Seattle as fast as you can through a private airstrip and don't ask any questions."

Player was taken off guard but went to typing. "Uhhhhhh...You're not doing what I think you're doing, are you?"

"That sounds like a question."

Player sighed and continued typing. "Okay, got one leaving near a private strip in Poway in about two hours, your usual airline company."

Carmen's face turned serious. "Perfect." On her nod...you know it's GO TIME

SEATTLE WASHINGTON 1809 HOURS

Later that evening, and our favorite Chief, clad in her usual pantsuit finished putting some files in a attaché case. She headed out of her office, locking it up for the evening. She said some goodbyes before coming to the main entrance...well, main entrance to the secret entrance. In doing so she ran into Julia and Chase who had just returned. Julia was smirking upon seeing Chief, now knowing some delicious secrets about her.

"Agents, I didn't get a debrief yet. What happened?"

Chase said nothing but held up one of the brass casings left by one of the guns. "They got away, and Marauder had a row with Agent Argent. V.I.L.E. is truly living up to their name" he said, putting the brass back in his pocket.

"My word" Chief's attention then went to Julia. "What happened, Argent?"

Julia started to exaggerate her limp. "I'm still in a bit of shock. Rest assured, you will have my full debrief tomorrow morning" she assured her.

"And the tapestries?"

"All of them stolen" Chase sighed, rubbing his temple. Chief groaned, this was the last thing she wanted to hear. She rushed past the two of them. "I have some more theories on Marau—" Chase stopped noticing Chief wasn't paying attention. She left. Julia smirked, but then put on her solemn face and placed a "concerned" hand on Chase's shoulder.

"It is okay, "Special" Agent Devineaux. We'll get them next time."

"Right. Next time" Chase sighed again with despair.

"Come, we shall write our reports together. Like old times."

Chase actually did like the sound of that. Sure Julia was kind of a crushing bore to him, but he did admittedly enjoy their comradery together. And after all, misery loves company, right? Little did he know, Julia was far from miserable. "Of course, Agent Argent. I shall order us takeout." He followed Julia to the nearest elevator. As the door closes we see their expressions: Chase toggled between quiet frustration and cautious optimism, where Julia had a look of sinister joy. The door closed on them both.

Chief drove to her penthouse apartment she was probably overpaying for. She parked in her underground parking structure and yawned. She entered her abode and noticed it was fairly dark, all her curtains were drawn.

Chief was good at what she did but she was no spring chicken, at least in her head, she had to do a double-take, wondering if she drew her curtains before leaving that morning. But it seemed like a trivial matter at the time.

There did seem to be this looming and strange presence hanging about the apartment. Chief closed the door behind her, and locked it. She couldn't shake this feeling of dread she suddenly felt, and in a place she should feel the safest no less. This was interrupted by her Persian Longhair, Commander, rushing up and doing that move cats do when they want attention and they rub their bodies along a human's legs.

Chief knelt down and gave her kitty some loving. "Aw, hello precious" Chief said in a baby voice. "Are you hungry? It's okay, mommy's gonna feed you" Chief walked into the kitchen and looked in a cabinet for a can of ALL NATURAL FANCY CAT brand cat food. While looking for her can opener Chief's eyes glanced to the floor and she was stunned. "What in the...?" there was Commander's bowl, a can of food already inside. The cat went to feast on some of it. Chief once again racked her brain. "Did you go all day without eating?" she asked as if Commander would give her an answer. "I've got to be losing my mind."

"...That makes two of us" came a familiar deadpan voice.

A startled Chief dropped the can of food and turned, looking into her dark living room. A lamp light was suddenly turned on, and sitting on an easy chair next to the lamp, sat Carmen, clad in her hoodie rather than her usual mission wear.

Commander ran to the living room and hopped onto Carmen's lap, she started to pet the Persian Longhair who seemed to enjoy the attention, to Chief's chagrin. Chief clenched her fists, and returned to her tough demeanor.

"Hey, Tammy" Carmen mocked.

"Why am I not surprised?" Chief asked with an eyeroll. She walked into the living room. "Breaking and entering and criminal trespass. You're really racking up the felonies lately, Sandiego" Chief mocked her, arms crossed.

Carmen half-smirked, too focused for Chief's idle threats. "Commander's been fed."

"I've noticed" Chief nodded before glancing down the hall to her bedroom.

"Don't bother looking for it, it's right here" Carmen opened up a drawer on the small bedside table the lamp stood upon and took out a chromed Glock 19 pistol. Carmen slid the action back and the chambered live round ejected from the gun. Carmen further mocked Chief by releasing the magazine, and thumbed each bullet out of the clip, making clinking noises as they landed on Chief's carpeted floor. She placed the empty firearm on the table.

"I have others you know" Chief threatened.

"Of course, how silly of me" from the floor Carmen picked up a chromed Walther PPK, it's the pistol James Bond uses. Carmen did the same move, emptying the gun in front of Chief's eyes. "Your empty Remington 870 is behind the fridge, your empty 357 Magnum is in the microwave and your empty AR-15 is on your bed. By the way, why so much chrome?"

"Smart-aleck" Chief scoffed.

"I never took you for a firearms enthusiast."

"In my line of work you can never be too careful" Chief answered. "Now, what do you want? You clearly went through an awful lot of trouble to have this little meetup."

"Why don't you have a seat" Carmen motioned to an identical chair across from a glass coffee table.

"My apartment, my rules."

"You should sit, you've had a long day" Carmen insisted.

"I'm growing tired of this" Chief warned. "If you think I'm going to—"

"Sit down" Carmen snarled, taking out Matty's pistol from behind her.

Chief was stunned. This didn't sound like Carmen Sandiego, and despite all her reservations about the anti-heroine, Carmen wasn't one to make threats on somebody's life. Chief was thoroughly taken aback by this.

Now, while this seemed threatening psychologically, there was little in the way of legal repercussions. While Carmen had the gun out, she wasn't pointing it at Chief, she was lazily aiming it down while her hands rested on the arm rests.

Chief persisted in her toughness routine, hoping in vain to desperately placate Carmen. "And now you're threatening my life?"

"Whose threatening? It's just a gun, and it's here, that's all" Carmen shrugged. She placed the gun on the coffee table, barrel pointed towards Chief.

Not wanting to escalate this situation any further, Chief slowly made her way to the other chair and sat down, arms on the rests. The two were about to have their own tense conversation, two Wolf's nearly twenty years apart.

"You must be desperate" Chief mused.

"More like impatient" Carmen countered.

"At the click of a pen I can have a dozen highly trained A.C.M.E. agents here in five minutes flat" Chief threatened.

"And I can be gone in thirty seconds or less...thirty seconds. That should sound like a familiar time" Carmen said, cryptically referring to the conversation with Chief and her father. Chief admittedly did not know what she was referring to. She sat there in silence.

"What do you want, exactly?" Chief asked.

"Been to any good diners lately? Holsten's in Bloomfield New Jersey perhaps?"

Chief raised an eyebrow but otherwise her facial expressions did not change. "I've never been to New Jersey in my life" she lied.

Carmen smirked, she knew Chief was lying, and not a very good liar at that. She persisted. "I hear you like The Doors."

"The band? They had a few good songs here and there—what does that have to do with anything" Chief scoffed. "You came all the way here to ask me if I'm a Jim Morrison fan?"

"You and Dexter Wolfe apparently."

"Ah yes, Dexter Wolfe, the reason you hacked our servers. Way to get to the heart of the matter."

"Yes, I'm sure it felt really good to tell him to pound sand when he came hat in hand begging you for assistance on a spring day in 1999."

Chief was again thrown for a loop. 'how did she know that?'. Again, she stuck to her guns. "I don't know what you're talking about. I've never—"

"Still mixing Lithium with Prozac?" Carmen finally blurted.

Chief stopped. No one other than her doctor knew of the medicines she took...well, her, the doctor, and Dexter Wolfe of course...and I guess her pharmacist. Chief's eyes narrowed at the smug Carmen, the jig was clearly up.

"Were they giving you hallucinations?" Carmen asked. "Perhaps on the evening you killed Dexter Wolfe?"

Chief breathed deeply. Her heartrate dramatically increased. No one...NO ONE knew of that meetup at the diner...other than the deceased Wolfe. How did Carmen get her hands on the recordings, Chief asked in her head.

"How did you—"

"I heard the recording."

"Yes, but how did you find it?" Chief sneered.

"Aw Chief, I'm disappointed in you. You let someone just steal hard copies of a twenty year old recording?"

Chief could see it in Carmen's eyes. It wasn't her who did it, and that made her all the more paranoid considering that meant someone in Her organization must've found the recording and given it to Carmen.

"How?" Chief retorted.

"That's not important—"

"Like heck it's not! How. Did. You. Find. It!?"

Carmen sighed. "I assume you've heard of V.I.L.E.'s newest operative? Marauder?"

Chief's eyes widened. That meant someone not only absconded with personal A.C.M.E. files, not to mention hard copy files, but that person was either in league with Marauder or was Marauder HERSELF!

"Yeah. She played them for me. Maybe A.C.M.E. isn't so secretive after all?" she mocked Chief, gripping her fingers onto the arms of the chair. 

"Did that...cretin tell you where she found the recording?"

"No and trust me, I asked. But that's not why I'm here, Tammy. I wanted to talk about you and Dexter Wolfe...like how you ignored him when you could've saved him?"

"You didn't know Dexter the way I did. He was an arrogant chauvinist, always in it for himself."

"Enough to simply scoff at any attempt to give him immunity for his crimes?"

"I was an Interpol Inspector not the Attorney General—"

"Yet you claim your entire adult life was pursuing V.I.L.E. and taking them down!" Carmen cried, her tears forming. "He comes to you, hat in hand, ready to give them all up and you of all people tell him to get lost!"

"You had no idea what it was like working with Dexter Wolfe! And why do you care so much about some V.I.L.E. operative?" chief sneered.

"Yeah...why would a TWENTY year old...Latina...care so much about one V.I.L.E. operative."

"Twenty year old, what are you...—"

Chief stopped for a moment. The lightbulb suddenly turned on as she began to remember that fateful conversation, and one particularly bit of information she was given that made the normally confident Chief become a desperate vulnerable lost puppy.

"Oh my God" she said almost in a whisper. "It was...it's you isn't it? You're Wolfe's daughter?"

Chief looked into Carmen's crying eyes and her shaking wrists, making the situation that much more tense given Carmen's emotional state. "Guilty" Carmen huffed.

"Carmen...I—"

"Save it" Carmen gritted her teeth. "Spare me your fake sorrow. You know what you did."

"Look, the night he was killed, i-it was dark, I—"

"I was told he was unarmed. You had a gun, a badge, and authority and you were mixing two medications known to cause hallucinations!" Carmen cried. Chief paused and looked away as a small tear formed in her right eye. "I don't blame you for killing him. Part of me doesn't know if he left me for my safety...or if you were right, and he left to save himself. That part hurt me more than you could ever know" Carmen continued. "But what hurt even more than that, was your indifference to wanting to help him—help me, help his wife! All because you were too petty about working with him? Okay, say you couldn't have gotten him immunity, so he goes to jail for a few years, then he's out, V.I.L.E.'s decimated and you still get all the credit. And if you cared so much about taking them down, why spoil that?"

"You know how V.I.L.E. is, you both would've had to have gone into Witness Protection."

"Trust me, Tamara, it would've been a better life than what I was dealt" Carmen choked up, wiping some tears away. "Just tell me why you wouldn't help him. The truth."

"I worked my butt off at Interpol, and Central Intelligence. I stayed late, I bided my time, I kissed the rear ends of every milquetoast white bread superior I knew, and all so Dexter Wolfe can get promoted over me? Then he gets bored and forms a criminal enterprise? And for what? While I play by the rules and get nowhere!?"

"Really? Petty infighting? That's why you felt the need to tell him off!?" Carmen sneered. "By the way, you seem to be doing pretty well for yourself. I checked Zillow, average mortgage cost of an apartment in this building is one point two million. You drive an Audi, you command a super-secret espionage organization with state-of-the-art technology, Persian Longhair cat, sixty inch plasma screen TV that looks seldom used—oh yeah, the patriarchy's really got you bogged down, huh?" Carmen sarcastically spat. "I'm not saying it isn't real and I'm not saying you didn't face discrimination, but a man is now dead and all you had to do was help him?"

Chief sighed, looking away again. "You wanted the truth? There it is. I was young, and foolish, and petty, and I regret it every day of my life. It would please you to know I haven't taken Lithium since that evening in Buenos Aires."

The two looked at one another for a while. Their expressions gradually changed. Commander would walk by from time to time and rub up against their legs. They continued to sit in uncomfortable yet pleasant silence for a few more moments.

"You want a coffee?" Chief asked Carmen.

"No, thank you. Look, I came here because I wanted to know the truth. I wanted you to know that how I felt and...I've been going through some dark times lately" Carmen explained. "I know what you said wouldn't bring him back, but I had to know why" Carmen stood up and picked up the gun. She slid the action back, revealing it was empty. "And so you know that whatever you think of me, I'm no monster, and I'm not like my father, even though I wish I knew him" she finished, and stuffed the gun behind her in her pants.

"Well-played, Sandiego" Chief put on a reluctant smirk.

"And...maybe I don't know how I would've reacted to that news had I not gotten some good advice today...so I forgive you for what you've done. And I hope someday you can forgive me, too."

"On a personal level? Knowing what I know about you now? Of course. But I still have a job to do. Next time we meet, we will be adversaries again."

Carmen sighed. "I still won't go easy on your people. But keep your house in line, if someone can merely steal A.C.M.E. property, who knows what they can't do" Carmen warned her. She gave Commander a few last rubdowns and then took her leave of the apartment.

The moment the door was shut, a suddenly nervous Chief got out her A.C.M.E. pen.

We transition over to A.C.M.E. HQ. Chase was in the restroom relieving himself, no one was around. He heard a beep inside his breast pocket of his A.C.M.E. jacket. It was his pen. He clicked it and dropped it to the floor, holo-chief popped up. Chase was quick to zip up his fly.

"Chief, um, this is kind of—"

"Are you alone, Devineaux?" Holo-chief asked with urgency in her voice.

"Oui—well right now, I am filling out reports with Agent Argent."

"Find an excuse to leave, don't make it obvious, meet me at the observation deck of the Space Needle in a half an hour, don't be late, don't ask questions and for the love of God, COME ALONE!" Chief ordered.

"Um, yes, of course Chief. I'll be right there."

Holo-chief said nothing and the transmission cut right there. Chase was pretty stunned at such a request, but picked up his pen from the dirty bathroom floor. He saw Julia working at her computer desk.

"Um, Miss Argent, I need to go and—grab some more mints. I'll be back soon."

"Oh, um, of course" Julia said with some suspicion.

"Would you like anything from the shop?"

"Um...Cornetto, if they have any."

"I shall return" Chase then left. As he did, Julia saw that he was gone and that no one was around. With her key card inserted in her hard drive, Julia smiled as she sifted through the hacked security system of fort Knox.

Outside, Carmen roamed the streets of Seattle, waiting for her Lyft to take her to the private airstrip she came in on. It felt good to forgive somebody who might not have deserved it, and to be honest, Carmen felt a little whole again from doing so.

She knew there was one person in particular she could forgive, and it wasn't Chief. She scratched her chin, and then called Player.

"Hey, Red."

"Player, I need you to reroute the jet to go to any airstrip near Chowchilla, California."

"Okay, but uh, why?"

"Pitstop, it is on the way" Carmen mused.

"But there's nothing over there" Player said, clicking away at his keyboard. "Just a maximum security women's prison but I don't see why—" it then hit the Canadian white hat. "You're joking?"

"Nope."

"Why?"

"something I gotta do, that's all. Make it happen, and put me on an emergency visitation list."

"Alright" Player sighed. "Done."

"Please and thank you" Carmen said before putting her phone away.

Finally, we transition to the Space Needle, Seattle's most famous and most recognizable landmark. Inside the observation deck, Chase had arrived to the empty floor alone and was looking out over the city. He turned, seeing Chief approach.

"Chief, what is wrong?" he asked.

"You'll never guess who just cornered me in my own apartment?"

"I could think of two possible suspects."

"Go with your gut" Chief half-smirked. "Here's the point. Our friend in red inadvertently tipped me off to a MASSIVE security breach within our organization" Chief explained.

"And she was not responsible for it?" Chase asked sort of mesmerized.

"No. But we have bigger issues than Carmen Sandiego right now. I'll keep it brief and bear in mind the only reason I'm telling this to you is because I know of your loyalty and I know you are the best gumshoe we have and more importantly, it speaks credence to your claim that Marauder might know who you and Sandiego are or why she has a vendetta against you both. Sometime recently, A.C.M.E. property was stolen, a tape recording, one I know Carmen Sandiego heard and one she claimed was found by this Marauder. It is a clip where the only copy exists at our Headquarters." Chief finished. Miss Murder by AFI starts to play in the background. 

Chase's eyes widened, he nearly fell over. "That means that...whoever did this, one of our agents could be in league with Marauder."

"Or more sinisterly..." Chief trailed.

We cut to Julia, working at her desk, downloading the security schematics into her phone attached to her computer via USB, a wicked grin on her face. Chief continued her hypothesis via voice over.

"...One of our agents could very well be Marauder herself." She nervously stated as the song continued to play, we fade out on Julia's wicked grin. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading everyone! Comments and kudos always appreciated!


	9. Miranda

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In today’s episodic thriller, Julia and Tigress decide to pull off a daring heist at the famous Fort Knox while unsanctioned by the faculty and an unfortunate circumstance results in Tigress’s arrest from A.C.M.E. forcing Julia to risk it all to break her out while assuring the faculty she doesn’t talk, while Carmen Sandiego runs into an old enemy to forgive her and is rewarded with nightmares upon her return to HQ allowing Shadowsan, Zack, and Ivy the task of defeating Tigress and Marauder themselves while Chase Devineaux and Chief grow more suspicious over their possible double agent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the first part of this chapter features my OC Akari from “Run Carmen, Run!” If you haven’t checked that story out yet, it’s worth a read and gives you some context. This also establishes that story and “Double Argent” are in the same universe.

CHOWCHILLA, CALIFORNIA 2153 HOURS

We fade in to the visitation office of the Central California Women's Facility, the largest maximum security female prison in the country, and housing California's most dangerous female criminals, including the state's death row inmates.

A California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officer, a grizzled and heavyset woman of color sits behind a plexiglass wall in an unairconditioned office, while an old oscillating fan blows warm air onto her sweat covered brow. On the other side stood Carmen, putting on a fake smile.

The Officer reads a California Driver License, a note on "official" letterhead for the Attorney General of California, and a business card endorsed by the California Bar Association. The woman raises an eyebrow looking at the red-hooded Latina. Carmen patiently awaited an answer.

"Okay, Ms...Santa Rosa" she quipped, sliding Carmen's driver's license under a small slit in the glass to her. "You are counsel to the inmate in question, correct?"

"That's correct" Carmen lied.

"Mmm-hmm" The woman was a bit unconvinced but had no proof to the contrary. "Any particular reason this couldn't have been done during normal visiting hours?"

"Well the information I require from my client is vital to her appeal for a motion that must be filed with the appellate court as soon as possible, and we at the law offices of: Player, Zackary, Ivy, & Suhara think of our clients as family, we don't believe in nine to five business hours" Carmen explained, the trained liar that she was.

"Well your note from Attorney General Becerra checks out" the woman explained, holding up a perfectly forged note Player must've made from the state's Attorney General's office. "Must have a pretty high profile client."

"We consider all our clients: high profile" Carmen said with a smile.

"Ain'tcha a bit young to be a lawyer?" The woman finally asked the obvious.

"Yes, yes I am. Would you like to see my diploma from Georgetown?" Carmen asked, having all her bases covered for such an occasion.

The woman sighed. "That won't be necessary Ms. Santa Rosa" The woman buzzed the door in front of them, which opened automatically. "Bear in mind, my shift was supposed to end almost an hour ago, so I don't care if the Governor himself wrote a letter, you better get your info in fifteen minutes" she warned Carmen.

"I only need ten" Carmen said confidently.

The woman grunted and slid her other credentials underneath the slit. Another guard led Carmen to the visitor's area, a row of seats with plexiglass windows and dividers separating each station.

Carmen sat on the uncomfortable backless chairs in one of the stations. After a few moments an inmate entered from the other side led by a guard. The woman, An Japanese-American was in handcuffs, sporting an orange jumpsuit, looked ragged and tired, and sported shoulder length jet black hair.

She took her seat and was stunned seeing Carmen on the other side of the glass. The two picked the phones hung up on their dividers to communicate. Carmen had hers pressed against her ear while the woman was slow to pick hers up.

"Hello, Akari" Carmen greeted her old nemesis.

"Carmen Sandiego" she huffed in indifferent disgust. "I don't know whether to kiss you, punch you, or kill you?"

"Ooh, such choices. I get punch and kill, but why kiss?" Carmen asked.

"It gets pretty lonely in here. It's ironic because this conversation should be in reverse" Akari sneered.

"Life's funny, isn't it?"

"It's a sick joke" Akari gritted her teeth. "Come to gloat? Is that why you're here? It's well past visiting hours so you clearly pulled some fancy footwork...or did Player do the heavy lifting and you conned your way past the guard?"

"Guilty."

"And what would happen say if I yelled: 'look there, it's Carmen Sandiego'!"

"'Carmen who?' Cause that's what they're gonna ask themselves" Carmen countered.

"I'm sure you'll divulge something incriminating" Akari mused.

"Not likely, they can't legally listen in" Carmen held up the business card to the window. "Our conversation is privileged" she put the card away and Akari sighed.

"You're good. I'll give you that. What alias?"

"Scarlet Santa Rosa. I like that one. It's my go-to."

"I'd love nothing more to see one of these screws reading you your rights while I get to watch but clearly that's not gonna happen...yet." Akari warned. "So, what do you want, I was busy crying myself to sleep, again."

"I mean...did you really expect me to just roll over and let you apprehend me that night?" Carmen asked.

Akari shrugged. "It woulda been nice."

"I don't play that way, Akari."

"No kidding, and now I have ten years to reflect on not choosing my contracts so diligently."

"That's it? Ten years. I'm sure parole is on the table."

"And that's why I've been the model prisoner. Because when I get out, you're the first person I intend on looking up."

"Looking forward to it" Carmen deadpanned with a forced half-smirk.

There was an awkward silence for a few beats. Carmen didn't know exactly how to move the conversation the way she wanted to because it was actually fairly painful given what Akari had done to her the night the two engaged in a thrilling parkour chase through San Diego. Akari was the first to break the silence.

"Sooooo..."

An indecisive Carmen decided to steer the conversation into another direction. "What do you know about V.I.L.E.?" she asked. "You know plenty about me. It should stand to reason you know of the organization I'm desperate to destroy from the outside in."

Akari made a face. "My contractor was friendly with Gunnar Maelstrom. They went to...either college or grad school together—spoke fondly of his affinity for psychological torture. Not that he would divulge company secrets to my boss. Why?"

"Well you'll be pleased to know the great Carmen Sandiego may have met her match" Carmen sighed.

Akari's face lit up. "Ooh, do tell."

"Her name's Marauder and she is about as vile as they come."

"Is she like me?" Akari glibly asked.

"Not hardly. You're a narcissistic mercenary with a Napoleon complex, she's a fiercely devoted agent of chaos who lives to torture her victims" Carmen explained. "You just want me in jail. She wants me to crack before she kills me. I can read it on her lips."

"That's an interesting angle" Akari smiled. "Wow, someone has the temerity to knock you off your high horse."

"I think if anything it really drives home the idea of mortality. Up to now it seemed too easy. It's brought up a lot of issues" Carmen added, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Join the club" Akari deadpanned. She looked at Carmen who was clearly avoiding eye contact, the skilled assassin knew there was something else. No gloating, no aggressive information gathering, and the two weren't exactly close, so the notion of this being a social call seemed unlikely. "So what do you really want, Sandiego?" Akari finally asked. "As much as I enjoy this surprise visit you'll understand if I question your motives for doing so?"

"Actually, I came here to forgive you."

Akari snorted. "You're forgiving me? I'm sorry but clearly you've been fooled by the vast opulence of my current living arrangements but, I'm in prison; a prison I was locked up in because of you. And you want to offer me forgiveness? I think you've got this backwards."

"You wanted to have me thrown in here. What was I supposed to do?" Carmen asked

"You didn't have to leave me chained to that lamppost so the cops could pick me up."

"And what guarantee would I have that you'd back off? For all I knew, I'd let you go and you're pursuing me as I'm going home. And you didn't have to do one ounce of the criminal activity you engaged in while chasing me, that's your own fault" Carmen snarled. Her demeanor changed though. Trading recriminations wasn't what she intended to do with this visit. She rubbed her forehead. "Look, you did some bad things, whether you think they were justified or not, they were pretty cruddy. But I forgive you, whether you want to apologize for them or not."

Akari rolled her eyes and huffed. "Thanks, I guess? Why are you doing this, anyway? Just to prove you're such a good person?"

"Actually, I probably would've let you rot in here and never give it a second look, but...I got good advice recently. To atone for what I've done, I need to ask forgiveness to those I've wronged, but also to forgive someone who wronged me...even if they don't deserve it."

"Who told you that fortune-cookie-malarkey. The Pope?" Akari asked with sarcasm.

"Yes, actually" Carmen smirked.

There was more silence, but it wasn't nearly as tense as before. Akari seemed like she was opening up, and sighed. "If it makes you feel any better, you're still the best contract I've ever had...doesn't change the fact that when I get out, I'm coming for you."

"I'd be disappointed if you didn't. But I'll be ready."

"Wouldn't have it any other way—"

"Five minutes!" A guard's voice called from the other side of the room.

Akari looked into Carmen's eyes, she half smirked. "It took guts to do what you did. I guess the least I could do is give you the info I have on your mother."

Carmen's face lit up...but then, her smile faded. Maybe if this happened before the recording she might have wanted to know. But hearing her father and possibly knowing his intentions made Carmen reconsider...maybe her mother was someone better left unfound? No, of course not, but it wasn't on the forefront of Carmen's mind and she needed to have laser focus if she wanted to take down Marauder. Besides, in a way, it wouldn't be fair. Akari should at least return to her cell knowing she had something to hang over Carmen's head, maybe give her a little victory...again, even if she didn't deserve it.

"No."

"No?" Akari raised an eyebrow.

"You deserve a reason to leave this meeting with a smile. It keeps me guessing, and you have no obligation to tell me."

Akari smiled. "You're making it really hard for me to want to strangle you" she half-joked.

"I got enough on my plate anyway, ironically, finding my birth mother is not on that plate right now."

Akari smiled but it faded a little. "Just so you know, we will meet again, don't know where, don't know when. But we will meet. Question is, is it gonna be this side, or the other?" Akari poetically finished. "Take care, Carmen."

"You too, Akari."

The two shared a nod and Akari hung up her phone. A guard entered from her side and cuffed her. Carmen watched her walk out of the room and presumably back to her cell. When she was gone, Carmen hung up her phone and put up her hood as she left.

Outside the prison Carmen walked down the desolate road to a bush just off the side of it. She fumbled around he bush and picked up Matty's pistol, holstering it in her pants behind her. She got on her phone. "I'm ready to go home, Player"

"Did you get what you were looking for?" Player asked.

Carmen stared back at the prison. "Yes, actually" She looked longingly at the fortress of rehabilitation but the face slowly turned to dread, Akari's poetic—if not prophetic warning was starting to haunt Carmen, among all the other things she was worrying about.

SEATTLE WASHINGTON 2041 HOURS

Sometime earlier, Chase had finished his eerie face-to-face conversation with Chief. He had returned to A.C.M.E., no mints in hand, but he had remembered Julia's ice cream. Chase couldn't have looked more suspicious. Every A.C.M.E. agent he encountered he would give some sort of glare to, all but Agent Zari, who he knew couldn't have been Marauder as they faced off simultaneously.

Chase entered his shared office with Julia who had already finished downloading the plans for her upcoming unsanctioned heist with her gf. Ironically, the only other person Chase didn't suspect at all was Julia, because Chase is a fairly good detective, but he's way too arrogant to realize how formidable Julia actually is...But is that exactly what she was expecting? Several takeout containers with Thai food lined their desks.

"Ah, you're back" she said.

"Yeah" Chase said.

"Was there traffic or something? There's a 7-Eleven down the street" she said suspiciously.

"Oh you know, the hipsters were protesting about something" Chase shrugged, a perfectly plausible lie. "Oh I uh, got you your ice cream. They don't have Cornetto, I got you the next best thing" he handed Julia a Nestle Drumstick.

"Why thank you, "Special" Agent Devineaux."

Julia typed her report with one hand, and ate ice cream with the other. Chase was pretending to type but he obviously had a few more pertinent things on his mind. He looked up at his Marauder photograph, staring briefly at it, then spun around in his chair.

"Julia, we have known each other for some time now, yes?"

"Yes, I believe so."

"And uh...we can trust one another, correct?"

"I should hope so."

"Good, so...have you noticed anything...strange around here, as of late?" Chase asked.

Julia narrowed her eyes and took a lick of her ice cream, her back was to Chase. She got a bit nervous, but remembered her training and Tigress's advice. She knew Chase and figured he was only fishing.

"Nothing out of the ordinary" she shrugged. "Everything's seemed normal."

"Any new agents, anything out of place?"

"Didn't we recruit that young man from Scotland recently? What's his name, Taggard?"

"Something like that. What are you thinking?" Chase asked.

"Just seems a bit strange" Julia shrugged again.

Like the schnook that he was, Chase took the bait. He spun around and searched A.C.M.E.'s online databases. "How about female operatives?"

"Well...hmm" Julia looked around to pretend like she was getting suspicious and then spun around, and swiveled to Chase, leaning into his ear. "What about Agent Suzanne Ellerbe."

"Agent Ellerbe? She does all the cooking for company picnics. She makes the potato salad I like so much."

"Yes...she's always baking and making things. Brownies, cookies, salads and pasta, all from scratch...can we really trust someone who cannot believe in store bought food, Special Agent Devineaux? She's not like all the others."

And little did Julia know she hit the psychoanalytical jackpot as Chase just had a dream flashback to when he thought Julia was giving him advice about Carmen which ended with him being stranded on the recently destroyed Isle of Vile.

Also, how did he go from Coastal France to the Canary Islands on an outboard motor in choppy Atlantic waters with seemingly one tank of gas? I know it was empty when he was trying to leave but it should have been empty long before he even made it to the island.

"She is not like all the others" Chase retorted, scratching his chin. "Thank you, Agent Argent" he said in a low whisper.

"You're welcome" Julia turned around and got back to work, smiling happily as Chase clearly was not suspicious of her at all. "It's nice, working with you again" she said casually, figuring Chase's defenses were lowered.

Chase looked in his desk where units of 5 Hour Energy shots sat inside a drawer. He flicked one open and knocked it back, tossing it carelessly next to his waste basket, and furiously typed to look for the aforementioned scapegoat's info.

"Oui. I missed our all night long report making sessions. It keeps us young."

"All that burning the midnight oil must've paid off. Your promotion and all" she said with a sigh, still salty about Chase getting ahead when he certainly did not deserve it.

"What?" Chase paused when Julia said that. But then he recoiled, as he was too much in the zone to process the dramatic irony right next to him. "Oh, right. You will get there someday."

"So I'm told" Julia muttered.

SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA 2311 HOURS

In the lair, Zack and Ivy were busy watching television and not helping Vincent and Gypsy count the money. Moments later, a bedraggled Shadowsan entered fresh from his Southeast Asian heist.

"Hey." Ivy greeted him.

"How was Cambodia?" Zack asked.

"Waste of time. They sent Mime Bomb, could've had local authorities handle it" he explained. "How was the Vatican?" He asked. The twins nervously made faces and looked away. The wily Shadowsan knew what that meant. "How bad?"

"Total loss" Zack groaned.

"I see. Was that new agent involved?" Shadowsan asked.

"Not only involved, but she messed Carmen up but good" Ivy explained. "It was really bad."

"Where is she?"

"She went out to do something, run errands, I dunno" Gypsy shrugged, counting money.

"Point is, this Marauder isn't messing around. Whoever she is" Vincent surmised.

"Seriously, you've never known anyone like her at V.I.L.E.?" Zack asked

"Think really hard, Shadowsan" Ivy urged him.

"No, no one comes to mind. It's possible she was recruited with some knowledge of intelligence and psychology" he took a seat on the opposite couch, resting his tired feet. "Could be anyone."

"Just bear in mind, Carmen's a little depresso-espresso right now, so don't egg her on" Ivy begged him.

On cue, everyone looked up as the front door opened, revealing Carmen, far more content and at peace than she was hours ago. "Carmen" Shadowsan greeted in his concerned yet deadpan voice.

"Oh hey, did Phenom Penh go well?" she asked.

"Fine, no worries. I heard Vatican City was not so well."

"Nope, but it's okay, we will get them back, and the Hope Diamond" Carmen explained. "And then watch as A.C.M.E. throws her evil butt in jail. I may even have a potential cellmate for her" Carmen explained, walking past everyone and up the stairs.

The five looked at one another. Carmen should have been ready to explode in a fit of rage, but somehow, she was almost back to her old self. Funny, all it took was to forgive those who have wronged her.

SEATTLE WASHINGTON 2330 HOURS

So much for burning the midnight oil, as Chase had fallen asleep at his computer desk. Julia had finished her report and sent it to Chief. She looked over at her passed out partner so thrilled he respected her alter ego and that he suspected nothing.

Julia arose from her seat and walked out of their office. However, as she walked down the row of cubicles, she attempted to put her USB into her pocket, not noticing it missed and landed on the floor while Julia continued to walk.

A few minutes past, and unfortunately, Julia's zip drive would be found alright, by the over-eager Agent Falco. Anthony looked down as he had nearly dropped multiple stacks of paper he carried with him.

"Neat-o! Free USB! This'll be perfect to For Carrie to save her science project on" he pocketed the device and happily walked over to Chase's cubicle and knocked on the wall. "Chase my man!"

Chase did a few snorts, grunts and recovered to a regular sitting position. "Huh? Who goes—" he looked over and saw Anthony. "Oh, Anthony" he yawned. "W-What is it, I'm very busy here."

"Sorry boss-man, I just brought all our subpoenas for the Department of the Treasury so we can inspect Carmen Sandiego's finances, they need your John Hancock."

"Good work, here" Chase brought out a personalized stamper with an ink pad. "I have my own brand, just stamp them for me. Use Agent Argent's desk—I guess she went home."

"Okie-dokie."

"So much for old times" Chase rolled his eyes. Continuing his report Chase glanced up to the Marauder photo yet again, his gumshoe brain was ticking, but Perry Mason he was not. "This Marauder is a problem."

"You're telling me" Anthony agreed, stamping a few forms.

"I've been brainstorming a few possible leads."

"Irene's always telling me brain food keeps the old head ticking like clockwork. Agent Ellerbe has some homemade doughnuts in the conference room" Anthony innocently explained.

"Ellerbe" Chase muttered, remembering the conversation with Julia, then looking up at the photo. "Hmm..."

"I remember this one time I was chasing Carmen Sandiego through Stockholm, she did this move where she jumped to a wall, and then spun around and kicked me in the face, and then I knocked myself out with my own stun gun."

"Been there" Chase sighed, twirling his A.C.M.E. pen while looking at his two photographs.

"Anyway, Agent Ellerbe made these homemade smelling salts to wake us all up. Here, I still have some if you need any" Anthony got up and reached into his pocket, the same one he put the USB in, and as he took out the vial of salts, it fell to the floor and rolled over to Chase. "Oops."

It hit Chase in the foot. The Frenchman looked down, and picked it up. "They put smelling salts in USB drives?" he coyly asked.

"No. I found this one, actually."

"Found it?" Chase asked.

"Yeah on the floor just as I was going to your office. You totally deserve a larger office, by the way."

"Don't you think I already know that?" Chase snorted. "Ugh, maybe I need some sleep. Let me borrow this, I'm going to upload my report to do it for later. A good detective backs up their files in multiple locations, remember that, Agent Falco."

"Dually noted, boss. I was gonna give it to my daughter for her homework, but you can totally use it."

"I planned on it" Chase grunted. He inserted it into the USB port, it of course had a random name, and as the menu appeared on screen, there was clearly a file attached to it...

"Huh, there appears to be a file attached to it, already" Anthony surmised the obvious, immediately annoying Chase.

"Ugh, I don't envy your children" Chase deadpanned, making a face palm.

"Should we just delete it?"

"It's clearly someone's drive, you imbecile. Maybe it'll give us some insight on whose this belongs to"

"Good thinking. That's why you're a special agent" Anthony congratulated him.

"No, I'm a special agent because I'm good at what I do. What's your excuse?" Chase said before clicking on the file. Both agents' faces lit up when they saw the incriminating security schematics to Fort Knox. Chase had inadvertently hit a jackpot thanks to Julia's accidental carelessness. "Sacre bleu!" A surprised Chase stared in awe.

"Hey, that's Fort Knox" Anthony explained, looking at the plans.

Chase smiled. "Anthony, you and I have just stumbled onto V.I.L.E.'s next plot." He mused, realizing this drive must've belonged to Marauder after Chase's conversation with Chief echoed in his head.

"Wait, what?"

"Don't hurt yourself overthinking it" Chase continued.

"How do you know this is the work of V.I.L.E.?" Anthony asked, uncharacteristically skeptical of Chase.

"You're just gonna have to trust me. THIS will be their next caper. But we are not going to let that happen."

"I'll sound an alert—"

"No, wait!" Chase stopped him, remembering Chief's warning. "Again, you must trust me when I say this, we need to keep this need-to-know. I only want a small contingency crew to handle the job, three agents."

"Okay, you, me, Agent Zari?"

"Absolutely."

"What about Agent Argent?" Anthony asked.

"She's still shaken up from today, better leave her here" Chase insisted.

"How do you know when the heist will be carried out?"

"Good question, mon ami. Look here" Chase pointed to a dossier on the plans. "According to this, Fort Knox changes guards every third Tuesday night of the month. Now Anthony, what night is tomorrow?"

"Ummmm...the third Tuesday?"

"Oui, a personnel change will mean the vault will be relatively unguarded for a short period, a perfect opportunity to steal some of the gold locked inside" Chase explained.

"Whoa, good plan."

"And this is why I'm a Special Agent. Alert Zari and tell no one. I will requisition all the equipment we will need."

"Right away, boss."

"I'm going to get some victory energy shots, you want a café?" Chase asked.

"Yeah, I'll have a latte, please" Anthony answered.

"You're getting a black coffee and you're going to like it" Chase warned before disappearing.

"Okay!" Anthony then looked at Chase's computer. "Oops, I should probably upload these plans to Crime Net for evidence purposes" Anthony said, clicking away to upload the files...

SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA 0018 HOURS

Were atop Carmen Brand Outerwear. A slight fog rolls in, eclipsing San Diego Bay. Carmen is on the roof, looking out towards the peninsula housing the city of Coronado, famous for the Navy Seal's BUDS training facility. She leaned against an exposed air vent, her hood was up. In her hands she held Matty's empty pistol. She studied it for a few moments.

It was funny about what Matty said before leaving her, it being 'better to have a gun and not need it, than to need a gun and not have it' as this little everyday carry weapon had gotten her out of two jams in relative short order. This somehow relieved the fact that her father was killed by a gun...not to mention Carmen had just returned from conversing with his killer.

She played with the mag release, unloading and reloading the magazine, and when she got bored of that she pointed the pistol out towards the bay and made pretend 'PEW-PEW' noises and moving her wrist to simulate the recoil. She looked longingly out to sea. Thoughts of all sorts filling her head: nightmares, her future, Julia, her mother, stopping Marauder, defeating V.I.L.E. once and for all; the usual. She heard someone coming through the doorway to the roof and Carmen quickly stashed the gun. She looked to see it was Shadowsan.

"I thought I'd find you up here" he said approaching.

"Well, I'm here" Carmen shrugged. Shadowsan took a seat next to her.

"You were running errands?" he asked, parroting Gypsy's guess as to her disappearance.

"Something like that. Mental health errands" Carmen cryptically answered.

"You could use more of those" Shadowsan half smiled.

There was some silence for a few moments between the two. Carmen thinking to Shadowsan about how the two started to grow apart the older she got living on Vile Island and how it was all in Shadowsan's way of trying to shelter her from a life of crime and villainy. She felt this weird confidence in her former mentor and even her stubborn demeanor was placated by Shadowsan's tough exterior mixed with his vulnerable side.

"He sounded gruff, like Bryan Cranston. I wasn't expecting that. I thought he would sound more like Ricardo Montalban" Carmen finally said, Shadowsan raised an eyebrow.

"Who?"

"Who else" she turned to him. "The Wolf."

Shadowsan was taken aback. "How do you remember how he talked?"

"I didn't, but I heard a recording. At the Vatican. Marauder somehow found a tape of Dexter Wolfe from over twenty years ago...you'll never guess who took that recording" Carmen sighed. Shadowsan shrugged, Carmen looked to see he was genuinely confused. "Did he ever...did he ever mention anything about Tamara Fraser?"

"No. Like I said, he wasn't around much but when he was he was all business. Those two knew one another?"

"Very well apparently. The night she took his life was not the first time they met. And by the sound of the recording it was the last time they met cordially if you catch my drift. He was arrogant apparently. A chauvinist."

"That I can confirm. He was a hothead but too good for anyone to attempt to discredit him" Shadowsan explained.

"You know she was the reason he decided to move V.I.L.E. assets to his own accounts? He went to her, hat in hand begging for immunity, and Chief at the time was so petty and so indifferent to his health that she just...just told him to get lost. Maybe things would've been different? Maybe you wouldn't have been dispatched to Buenos Aires that week, maybe I'd be growing up in Witness Protection. Sure, it'd be in fear every day of my life of V.I.L.E. catching up with us, but we'd be together. Mom, dad, and little me" Carmen's eyes welled up a little.

Shadowsan put an arm around her. "Have you considered that certain events happen for a reason?"

Carmen scoffed, and wiped her tears away. "How?"

"What say you go into Wit Sec with your mother. Wolfe's crimes are far too vast for complete immunity."

"Not like Chief would've given it to him" Carmen muttered.

"Exactly. Imagine Wolfe in a maximum security prison. V.I.L.E. could easily get to him. And then you have your mother, but still no father. How about a different scenario?" he continued. "If you were not there in Boston on that night over a year ago, what happens to Zack and Ivy? They would surely botch the robbery and either have been captured by V.I.L.E. or that loan shark would have killed them for failing to deliver his payment."

"Oh, so I'm George Bailey now?" Carmen asked sarcastically.

"Just call me Clarence" Shadowsan half-smirked. "But you know I'm right. Even if it is hard to stomach."

Carmen sighed and stood up, She walked towards the edge of the building and looked down, seeing the waves crashing against the jetty wall. She sighed, wiping more tears away. "I hate it when you're right" she turned to him. "He liked The Doors, you know?"

"That I did know. He was a fan of classic rock."

"The Sopranos too."

"I remember Ivy compared you to Tony Soprano when all this began. When you so convinced we cannot launder our money to keep A.C.M.E. off our backs. Remember you scoffed at such a comparison?"

"Right, if I gain two hundred pounds and shave half my head, and repeatedly cheat on the wife I don't have; then yes, Shadowsan, I guess I could be Tony Soprano" Carmen rolled her eyes.

"Appearances aside, what do you two have in common?" he asked, Carmen shrugged. "You were both born into the darkness. Except Tony Soprano knows he can never claw his way out of it...but you Carmen, you have this golden opportunity to leave the darkness behind and become the hero you deserve to be. Not many people in your position get a second chance the way you've been afforded one, and you've done so largely on your own. Any other scenario and you would be at best an ordinary girl moving from town to town to avoid being killed by V.I.L.E. and at worst, simply dead."

"It kind of puts it all in perspective. And maybe you're right. Then the next question is: what if I gained some sort of genetic toxicity from Dexter?" Carmen asked. "He was so interested in the next heist, so interested in his own self-gratification that...what if in a weird way I inherited that? Is that why I'm so short sighted?"

"That's not a genetic trait" Shadowsan surmised.

"What if it is? What if I'm just destined to walk the earth with this chip on my shoulder and not care who gets hurt all in my own pursuits to settle this vendetta I have with V.I.L.E.? If everything happens for a reason, is that my reason? And to what end? Do I die like Wolfe, alone and scared, knowing that I've left everyone I've loved and lying in a pool of my own blood and shame? And then what was it all for? And what if we succeed? Where do we go from there? I've burned enough bridges in my life, and A.C.M.E. will still be pursuing us. What happens then? Forever on the run and without an enemy left to fight. How long before we turn on one another? How long before it's all for nothing? How long before our sins catch up with us and all so we could get rid of this shadowy enemy and live another day. How long before we mess up and some cop is reading us our Miranda rights? Or another Tamara Fraser comes out of the woodwork and finishes us off?" Come and get your Emmy, Gina Rodriguez.

Shadowsan looked at Carmen, tears drenching her face. He stood up and walked over to her, embracing his former student in a hug. "That isn't going to happen."

"Oh, you have a crystal ball?" Carmen asked, her sarcasm an obvious defense mechanism.

"I have a crystal brain" Shadowsan smirked. "But did that feel good? To vent?"

"Of course" Carmen sighed. In the background, Ghostride by Crumb fades in. Carmen released and looked up at Shadowsan. "So much for not telling me what I want to hear."

"I've been on this Earth long enough to know it gets better. Trust me Carmen, you are not your father, and you are not a toxic person. You are the strongest and most resilient person I've ever met. I know we will do good in this world long after V.I.L.E. is gone. Come, we should sleep"

Carmen sighed. "Sleep. I don't know if that's a good idea right now" Carmen muttered, her nightmares haunting her.

We cut to Carmen's room where we see the seven bullets to the gun each standing in a neat little row. Carmen sat at her desk and released he magazine, loading each round in before reloading the gun, letting the action slide forward. She put the pistol in her desk drawer and turned to her bed, it was haunting her more than anything.

Carmen sighed, turning back to her computer. "Sleep now? Not likely" she opened her laptop and went to work with her V.I.L.E. research, and looking for Vera Cruz. The song faded out.

BATTLE CREEK MICHIGAN 1026 HOURS

The next day, Tigress waltzed over to the lab where Dr. Bellum was putting the finishing touches of the wrist weapon she was developing for some time. She used a sawdering tool to weld up the edges, she smiled, it was complete.

"Finished, at last" she mused.

"Dr. Bellum? Tigress innocently mused. "I'm having an issue with my V.I.L.E. communicator device."

"I'm much too busy, Tigress. Have the Cleaners assist you" Bellum dismissed her.

"Aw but I was looking up this adorable video. This litter of kittens were all trying to fit in the same slipper, but they just can't quite fit."

Hook, line, Bellum. The doctor breamed. "Really? Oh of course I can help you! I'll fix it at once!" she ran out, not realizing she left Tigress effectively alone in her lab.

"It's in my room!" Tigress called. "You won't mind if I play with a few of your toys, right?" she asked to herself. Tigress whistled as she looked through the arsenal of V.I.L.E. weaponry, grabbing two Crackle rods among other things, and came across her jackpot, a shrink ray gun. "And Shrink-o was his name-o" Tigress smiled absconding with the device. She then looked over at the wrist thing, and took that too. As she was about to exit, who should be in her way, but Paper Star, twirling some origami while chewing some gum. She blew a bubble right at Tigress.

"And where are you going with those?"

Tigress rolled her eyes. "None of your business" she muscled her way past her.

"You and your girlfriend going on a "date" or something?"

Tigress made an audible huff and turned to Paper Star. "What's it to you?"

"Do the Faculty know about this little outing? Don't answer, I already know."

"Well unless you want to dig my claws out of your face, you'll keep your mouth shut" Tigress sneered.

"Maybe I will, and maybe I won't."

Tigress was losing patience. "Which one of us are you hot for, Paper Star? Me, or her? But I think I already know the answer" she shot Paper Star a glare and the origami psycho blushed, and recoiled. "I'll cut you in on the heist, but that's it."

"Thirty percent" she snarled.

"Fine, but you better keep quiet" Tigress warned. She continued to walk down the hall while Paper Star balked.

The platinum blonde villainess muttered and mumbled expletives to herself while she walked to the hanger, a large part of the former factory housing all of V.I.L.E.'s modes of transportation that were either land or air based and jumped into the V.I.L.E. chopper. After she loaded up the multitude of weapons she noticed a presence in the cockpit.

"Do you think they will mind if we take this for a joyride?" the person swiveled around in the chair, revealing it was Julia, clad in her Marauder outfit without the mask.

Tigress blushed. "Only if we get caught" she sauntered over to Julia jumping into her lap and greeting her with a kiss. "You skipped work, that's naughty."

"They won't know I am missing. You received my email about the plans last night?"

"Got them all memorized" Tigress pointed to her head. "You know, we have so much time to kill, Kentucky isn't all that far away" Tigress swooned, scratching Julia's chin.

"I could think of a few things we can do to pass the time" Julia smiled and smashed her lips against Tigress's again.

They heard footsteps approach and the two got off one another, just in time as who should look through the side opening of the bird but Coach Brunt. "I thought I heard some rustlin' going on in here. Hey Marauder, what brings you back?"

"Oh um..." Julia stammered.

"We were just...you know" Tigress nervously looked away while Brunt raised an eyebrow.

"We were going to get the helicopter inspected" Julia said almost as a question. "I am told it's time for its annual fifty thousand mile rotor, oil, and machine gun tune-up."

Tigress played along. "Right, yeah. And the International Brotherhood of Villains, Hench-people, and Thieves local 537 requires two operatives to fly it and we volunteered" she said, the two then nervously smiled.

Fortunately for them, Brunt was smart, but not that smart. She shrugged. "Whatever, as long as it's back in one piece. Lousy unions, it's one thing when we control 'em, but this is ridiculous" she sneered. "Nobody tells me anything anymore. Things were a lot different when Reagan was running things I can tell ya that much" Brunt ranted. She continued her tirade to herself as she walked through the hanger, heading to the main doors, most likely going out for a jog. Julia and Tigress sighed of relief, and went back to kissing.

SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA 1100 HOURS

Once again without romance...or sleep was Carmen, typing away at her computer. She was mindlessly typing into a Word document, a thin layer of drool escaping her lips. She could barely keep herself awake.

"Carmen?" Ivy's voice called. The redhead entered the room noticing Carmen was not answering. "Carm?" she retorted. Ivy nervously entered the room and squinted her eyes as she looked at what Carmen was typing in comic sans no less. "All work...and no play...makes Carmen a dull thief" Ivy read as the same statement was written over and over again. "Stephen King, much?" Ivy asked.

"I'm fine" Carmen blurted almost like a robot.

"Like heck you're fine. I've never seen you like this Carmen, did you sleep last night?"

"Sleep bad, work good."

"Nope, you're going to bed, let's go" Ivy grabbed under Carmen's arms and lifted her up from the chair.

"No, wait" Carmen babbled. Ivy threw her onto the bed.

"Carmen, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way, but you're going to sleep."

"Nightmares" Carmen said barely awake. Ivy got out her sweatpants and sleep shirt on top of her.

"Bed" Ivy ordered.

"I'm fine, Zack" Carmen said a bit more sentient.

"Except I'm Ivy" she crossed her arms.

Carmen sighed, maybe last night would put her in a better head space. "Will you wake me if there's a mission?"

"Nope, me, Zack, and Shadowsan will handle it."

Carmen shrugged, too tired yet having too much confidence in her crew to put up a fight. "You got me. I will sleep Ivy, I promise."

"Good" Ivy smiled and turned out the lights.

Carmen looked at her sleep clothes and didn't even bother, not even having the strength to put them on. She kicked them off and her head fell onto her pillow. "Okay nightmares, you win. I surrender" she sighed and almost immediately fell fast asleep.

Downstairs, brunch was in full swing. Vincent and Gypsy were nowhere to be found while Zack and Shadowsan stuffed their faces with eggs benedict, French toast, and three kinds of sausage. Ivy joined them.

"She didn't sleep last night" she reported.

"How is she now?" Shadowsan asked.

"Finally got her to turn in. If there's a mission, I told her we're on our own."

"We can handle it, right?" Shadowsan asked, looking over at Zack, whose mouth was full. He gave a thumbs up.

Suddenly, Player appeared via TV. "Your guys are gonna have to put those words into actions"

"Uh-oh" Ivy groaned.

"Uh-oh is right, Ivy. I was combing through A.C.M.E.'s files and I found something a little shocking" Player said.

"Wait, A.C.M.E.? Not V.I.L.E.?" Zack clarified.

"Yeah. I've been using this new software I created. You know when you're in a password encrypted site it only allows you to have so much inactivity before logging you out? Well, what this does, is allow us to remain inside such a site even with as much inactivity as we want, even if they change the passwords on us" Player explained. "All you have to do is keep the tab open."

"So what you're saying is, you've been inside A.C.M.E. since we hacked them?" Ivy asked.

"Pretty slick, huh? But for good reason, in case they have something we can figure out without being on the V.I.L.E. hard drive and I think A.C.M.E. may have accidentally stumbled onto something big" Player continued.

"How big?" Shadowsan asked.

"See for yourself" Player showed them the Fort Knox files the unsuspecting Anthony uploaded to Crime Net the previous evening.

"For Knox" Shadowsan deadpanned.

"Isn't that Johnny Knoxville's production company?" Zack asked.

"Not hardly, Zack. For Knox is a famous vault so to speak, a heavily guarded fortress containing over half of the United States gold bullion deposits, totaling roughly over 230 billion dollars."

"That's a lotta bullion" Zack marveled.

"It was erected on the military base of the same name as a means of security to properly secure the gold. You see, back in 1933, America and the rest of the world were experiencing a massive Great Depression, so President Franklin Delano Roosevelt established an executive order to halt any American from hoarding any massive quantity of gold and anyone who was had to turn it over to the government or risk fine or imprisonment in order to safeguard it in case it would be needed to fund the economy" Player continued. "Once the gold was collected, the U.S, Treasury smelted down all the gold into bars and stored it behind the twenty tons of steel inside the vault. Very few people have actually seen inside of it."

"And you are certain this is V.I.L.E.'s next target, Player?" Shadowsan asked.

"I'm not, but there is something telling...look at this, on the evening of every third Tuesday the vault's security makes a massive guard change, a carefully guarded secret one can only figure out if you work at the fort, or if you have a pretty good hacker to figure it out. So it stands to reason the latter is probably true, and that V.I.L.E. will probably strike when the guard changes...tonight."

"And what a day for Carmen to be laid up" Ivy sighed.

"Why would A.C.M.E. have these files?" Shadowsan asked "And not V.I.L.E.?"

"Search me, maybe they were able to hack V.I.L.E. before these were even uploaded to their servers?" Player guessed.

"Or it's an unsanctioned heist and A.C.M.E. was able to get wind of it first" Shadowsan added. "Which means whomever is involved on V.I.L.E.'s end will have little support, meaning we should have little opposition to stop them" he smirked. He turned to the twins, smirking as well.

DREAM SEQUENCE

Were inside Carmen's nightmare. We picked up where she left off, stuck in the stairwell inside the creepy house in the woods while a shadowy assailant looks at her from the doorway. Carmen huffs and hyperventilates, trying to take her leg out of the hole.

"No...n-no-n-n-no!" Carmen tried to pull her leg as she heard the footsteps of the assailant grow closer, eventually starting to climb the stairs with her.

Right before their hand could reach and grab Carmen, suddenly, the floor of the stairs opened up and Carmen fell through it, leaving the assailant behind. Carmen found herself falling in a seemingly endless pit.

"I'm coming for you, Carmen!" a disembodied voice rang out. Carmen fell to the floor, darkness surrounding her...

SEATTLE WASHINGTON 1629 HOURS

That afternoon, were inside A.C.M.E. Chief was in the main security room going over camera feeds throughout the few days. Her primary focus was in the filing center, and to Chief's detriment, the hard files were not in the line of sight for the camera.

"Grr, animal crackers, a blind spot" Chief sighed, rubbing her temples. "Well played, Marauder" she said to herself. She continued her search.

SKIES OVER INDIANA 1914 HOURS

Later that evening, the V.I.L.E. chopper can be seen racing through the skies over the land of cornfields and Notre Dame on its way slightly south to northern Kentucky. Inside, Julia flew while Tigress sat next to her.

"And you can fly a helicopter."

"Part of Interpol's special operations training. Devineaux opted for Weapons expertise. A lot of good that did him" Julia's smile faded. "It is unfathomable to me that that...utter arrogant imbecile was promoted in my absence. Chase Devineaux embodies the word incompetent except he's too incompetent to even spell it .It took every fiber of my being not to protest his change in rank."

"Who cares, think about what you can do to take A.C.M.E. down."

"This is true." The two smiled at each other for a long time.

"You ever wanted to do it on a pile of gold?"

"I'd love to" Julia smiled. They continued their flight south.

SKIES OVER MIDDLE AMERICA SAME TIME

In a fast moving jet, flying over all those states nobody remembers; Chase, Agent Falco, and Agent Zari readied their weapons, perfectly poised for a fight. "I'm impressed, Devineaux" Zari smirked. "But are you certain about what Chief said?"

"Yes, and it does not leave this plane. It's entirely possible Marauder is one of our own. And it's a fair chance she'll be in on this heist. You two agents I are only ones I could trust with such sensitive information, Zari because we have both faced Marauder simultaneously, and Anthony...you are too stupid to be in league with someone so cunning" Chase explained.

"And I am okay with that" He nodded, giving a thumbs up.

"What about Agent Argent?" Zari asked.

"She is far too shaken from her bout with Marauder, aside from her, I trust no one else right now, other than Chief, and I recommend you both do the same."

"Of course" Anthony agreed.

"Right" Zari deadpanned, scratching her chin.

SKIES OVER WESTERN KENTUCKY 2001 HOURS

Our heroes three were also en route to Fort Knox in a fairly fast moving plane. Player was going over the specifics of the fort while Zack, Ivy, and Shadowsan listened in.

"So how would a couple of V.I.L.E. operatives possibly steal from somewhere with that much security?" Ivy asked.

"I have a theory..." Player began.

HARDIN COUNTY KENTUCKY SAME TIME

Player continues via voice over, ironically explaining the exact plan Tigress and Marauder intended upon. They had landed the helicopter in a forest near the base, sneaking to the outer fence, both poised.

"It actually would work better with a smaller crew. Too many cooks could easily attract unwanted attention and Fort Knox is on an Army base. First, they'd have to jam all security cameras and gain entrance inside the many gates of security, but since the guard is in the process of changing, it might go unnoticed."

Using their V.I.L.E. electronics, Marauder was able to hack into the vault's security network and disabled all the security cameras. While the guard was posting the two sneaked to the first fence. Marauder used her A.C.M.E. key card to gain access through the gate as the card could get them through any place given the level of clearance.

"Next they'd have to avoid all spotlights and sensors, but again, with the relaxed security it wouldn't be too much trouble."

The two sneaked past the guards and into the grounds, dodging the spotlights and laser grids before finally making it to the side of the concrete fort.

It'd be foolish to try and go right through the front door, they'd need to find an alternate way inside."

Tigress showed some claw and Marauder jumped on her back. Tigress clawed their way up the concrete and up to a small ledge, coming to a ventilation duct, because in the cartoon world, there's always a human-sized vent one can sneak into...

"Once inside, that's the tricky part. No doubt they'll be able to gain access into the vault, but there's over 200 billion dollars' worth of gold, that translates to tons upon tons of weight. How they'll be able to sneak it out is beyond me. You'll probably have to catch them in the act."

Player fades out as Marauder and Tigress jump from the duct to just outside the massive twenty tons of steel that was the vault door. They smirked and Julia used the key pad to connect to her V.I.L.E. electronic lock pick and scrambled the codes to open up the vault.

After a few moments, access was granted, and the twenty tons of steel was rendered effectively useless as it opened right up, and a sheen of golden light graced the two villainesses. There it was, fat stacks of gold bullion, ripe for the stealing.

"Shopping spree?" Marauder asked.

"Heck yeah" Tigress held up the shrink ray and blasted the stacks of gold, shrinking to hardly a millimeter in length. Marauder dipped her hand into the shrunken pile and picked up a handful of bullion bricks.

"Imagine the history we hold in our hands, Tigress."

"I know, right? What boobs, putting all this gold in one place. Just begging to be taken. Nobody's robbed the United States this bad since Enron." She chuckled. Marauder smiled, taking out several sacks she brought with her.

SEATTLE WASHINGTON SAME TIME

Chief continued to comb over the footage inside the filing room, but was again coming up with little. Of course, one thing was catching her eye. Julia was working in on the day in question.

"Hmm, oh yes. Argent volunteered for filing duty. Hmm..." Chief stared at Julia working for a few moments. "I wonder...wait...n-no. No it c—"

Suddenly, an agent barged in. "Chief?"

Chief gasped, thinking the worst. "What is it, Agent Dominguez?"

"Sorry, it's just, I have Governor Inslee on line two."

Chief sighed and rubbed her forehead. "I'll be right there, thank you" Chief mumbled as the agent left her. She turned back to the cameras briefly and looked at Julia again with increased interest.

HARDIN COUNTY KENTUCKY 2034 HOURS

The jet carrying the twins and Shadowsan flew over Fort Knox, and we see three blobs jump out of it...followed by two—then three parachutes. Our heroes landed on top of the fort avoiding detection, the guard was just finishing up the shift change.

"You think we're early?" Ivy asked. Shadowsan looked around, and on the ledge looked down.

"If anything, we're late" he pointed to the open vent duct Tigress and Marauder used to break in.

Inside the vault, the girls made a quick job of their heist, reducing the tons of gold to at best fifty pounds between them thanks to Bellum's shrink ray. Marauder had picked up a push broom and dust pan to scoop up the gold.

"We should do this more often" Tigress mused, finishing off the last stack of gold.

"Imagine what we can shrink and steal. Roman Coliseum, Statue of Liberty, the entire Louvre" Marauder swooned. "And we can do it together."

Tigress sauntered over to her love. "I forgot to give you this" she held up the wrist thingy. "Doctor Bellum was working on it. I think it would look good on you" Tigress smiled and wrapped it around Julia's right wrist.

Marauder wrapped her left arm around Tigress's waist but she then noticed a disturbing presence in the air. "Let's test it out!" She moved Tigress out of the way and pointed her wrist moving it forward and a laser beam shot out, and right towards Shadowsan who tried to sneak up behind them. He quickly ducked. "Lasers? Cliché, yet effective" Marauder snickered. She looked at the combat ready former ninja, remembering him from their near encounter in Rio.

"Oh hey, Teach" Tigress mused. "S'been awhile."

"So you must be Shadowsan?" Marauder asked. "Why leave such a fine organization only to be relegated to a mere pawn in Carmen Sandiego's game?"

"Because I knew this was not the life I wanted anymore, and if you were smart you'd leave it too—both of you" he warned. "It's only a matter of time before the Faculty gets bored of you both."

"As if" Tigress balked.

Marauder felt another presence in the room and unsheathed one of her kukris "By the way I hope you don't mind but I think this is a fight for three!" She launched the blade behind her where Zack and Ivy attempted to sneak up on her. The twins were right up against one another and the blade caught onto to Zack's right shoulder and Ivy's left, pinning them both to the nearest wall by their shirts, the blade barely missing their skin.

"Whoa!" was all Zack could say.

"See, I told you!" Ivy sneered.

"Now then" Marauder took out her other blade. "Where were we?"

DREAM SEQUENCE

Carmen was running aimlessly through the darkness only to realize no one was chasing her this time. She continued her mad sprint until she looked off into the distance, seeing a proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.

As she ran, the light got brighter and brighter, larger and larger. She got close enough she ran into the light, and into the other side, revealing it was the opening of a doorway. Carmen quickly slammed the doors shut and locked them.

She got a quick look at her surroundings, it was a dimly lit big band nightclub, the kind Frank Sinatra would have played at. There was a stage, many tables with those candles inside a glass centerpiece in the middle of each, and of course, a fully stocked wet bar. A song started to play, Tennessee by Squid the Whale.

There was only one occupant inside the bar, the bartender. Carmen raised an eyebrow, as the bartender was a well dressed Chase Devineaux. "Devineaux?"

"Oh hey, how's it hanging" It was Chase alright, but his voice was different, more higher pitched and New York sounding, far from Chase's thick French accent.

"Wait, why do you sound like that?" Carmen asked, taking a seat at the bar.

"Okay so, this is a dream where nothing makes sense. See, I look like your friend Chase Devineaux, but I'm actually actor/director Steve Buscemi" he explained.

"One: we're not friends, and two: loved you in Reservoir Dogs" Carmen said.

"So what can I get for you, kiddo?"

"I don't really drink."

"I got just the thing" Chase—or, rather Steve, made a quick drink with an orange peel garnish, and slid it down the table towards Carmen. "Can't go wrong with an Old Fashioned."

Carmen shrugged and took a sip, quickly spitting it up. "Yuck. Who drinks these?"

"Old people, usually." He shrugged, cleaning another glass.

"How about a drink a twenty-something would order?"

"Frosé margarita, coming up!" he blended the ice and mix-ins, and slid the fruity beverage over to Carmen.

"Mmm, much better."

"So, what's on your mind, kid?" Steve asked.

"You should know, we're in my mind...or I don't know. I don't know much anymore" Carmen sighed. "My future, my mental health, who I am as a person. I thought I knew all that but it turns out, nope! I'm just crazy."

"Are you crazy, or are your circumstances crazy?" he asked.

"Little of both, I guess" Carmen shrugged and took a big gulp of her beverage. "Forget my past for a minute, why does Marauder have it out for me the way that she does?"

"You have to ask yourself, not why...but who. Who will get you the why."

"Who...but who in the world hates me that much? And who could know so much about me?" Carmen then heard a disembodied scream in the distance.

"She's coming for you."

"Who is! Who!?"

Steve said nothing and walked to a kitchen door behind the bar, and walked through it, disappearing without a word. Carmen looked around and saw no one but heard the scream again. She gulped the rest of her drink and headed for another set of doors, darting through them as the song faded.

HARDIN COUNTY KENTUCKY 2040 HOURS

Shadowsan lunged instantly knocking Marauder into Tigress and clothes-lining the two of them. He ran to the twins and got them off the blade stuck in the wall. Zack groaned as his favorite shirt now had a hole in it.

"I liked this shirt. Curt Schilling signed it"

"Poor you! Now help me here!" Shadowsan groaned.

"Oh yeah!"

The twins got into action, focusing on Tigress as they had unfinished business with her. Shadowsan went on the offensive with Marauder. He proved to be the better opponent, besting every thrust and jab Marauder could punch at him. He threw her over his shoulder. Marauder recovered and slashed at him with the kukris.

"Ha! You're skills are weak, little girl"

He barely missed a dodge, but Marauder aimed her new laser wrist gun at him. "How's this for weak, old man?"

Shadowsan ducked just as she fired but she kicked him into a wall. He recovered and drop kicked her right in the gut, getting neutral once more the two went to blows yet again, with Shadowsan clearly the better fighter.

Tigress was having her paws full of Zack and Ivy, apparently two against one didn't sit well with the platinum haired villainess. Every time she would get a kick on one, or a punch on another, the other twin would be right there to counter.

"How does it feel to be outnumbered?" Ivy mocked her.

"Yeah!" Zack made a lunge but Tigress grabbed him and threw him right into Ivy.

"I dunno, seems to suit me just fine."

Ivy got up and looked to the nearest wall, in pain and not wanting a repeat of Vatican city, she got up and saw there was an alarm on the wall. "Oh yeah. Well this suits me fine, too!"

"No!"

Ivy punched the button, and a massive alarm blared.

Over to Marauder and Shadowsan, he was manhandling her, but Marauder was able to recover and evade each blow. Shadowsan finally had her knocked to the ground, and he approached, wiping away some sweat from his face.

"I've had enough of the amateur hour" he sneered. He leaned down and Marauder took the one opportunity she had and kicked him right in the face, knocking him on his back, knocking him out.

"Shadowsan!" the twins yelled.

"Come on Tigress, I think we've overstayed our welcome" Marauder insisted, grabbing two of the gold bags.

"Couldn't agree more!"

The two made a break for the elevator just outside the vault door and clicked up. Marauder fired from her laser blaster to keep Zack and Ivy from pursuing them. The two super villains breathed a sigh of relief.

"I have an idea" Tigress blurted.

"Of course."

"Got you're A.C.M.E. outfit?"

"Always under this one."

"Good. This way, you can tell the guards I've escaped so they can follow me, while you take these random sacks of "evidence" with you, and no ones the wiser."

"That way, they're preoccupied and you can just sneak all the gold out."

"I'm rubbing off on you?" Marauder smiled.

"Or is it the other way around?"

Marauder quickly transformed into Julia, taking off her outfit's and doing a quick change.

Outside, Chase and his rag-tag band of A.C.M.E. operatives gained entrance to Fort Knox as multiple U.S. Mint guards and military personnel converged on the alarm call.

"You think we're too late?" Anthony asked.

"No Anthony, I think we were just in time for panic seminar" Chase sarcastically groaned.

"And me without my notebook" Anthony shook his head, oblivious

"We can get a better vantage point from the second floor. The guards can handle the first" Zari suggested.

"Good plan, Agent Zari, hopefully we can catch them before they get far! Let's move!" Chase ordered as the three ran into the fort.

Shadowsan got to his feet as Zack and Ivy helped him up. He was woozy. "Where'd they go?"

"Second floor, we can catch them is—" Ivy was stopped as Shadowsan grabbed her and Zack by their shoulders to keep them from running.

"Or, we find a different way and head them off. Did you read the schematics at all?"

"I'd be lying if I said we did" Zack shrugged.

"Ugh, follow me!" he called. They ran to the outside of the vault, and over to a stairwell.

SEATTLE WASHINGTON SAME TIME

Chief was walking through her agents cubicle-like offices. Her brain was racked with potential theories, any one of her agents could have been this mysterious Marauder. As she was passing Chase and Julia's office, her eyes wandered to the wall above Chase's computer. Chief wandered inside and looked at the print-out Chase had of the security camera feed of Marauder in the Smithsonian. She picked it up from its base and studied it intently, her eyes narrowing as she looked at Marauder on the grainy photograph.

HARDIN COUNTY KENTUCKY 2102 HOURS

Julia and Tigress arrived on the second floor. No one was around. Julia was now in her A.C.M.E. uniform and glasses, her Marauder duds underneath. "You sure you'll be able to carry the bags?" Tigress asked.

"I will manage. We will be fine. You will take the helicopter?"

"Right, all you have to do is divert the guards elsewhere and escape with the loot, but wait" Tigress stopped Julia, and wrapped her arms around her. "You should get something for the road" she smiled, cupping Julia's chin.

"I'll return from A.C.M.E. with our gold, and something for you too" Julia mused.

"Oh yeah?"

The two leaned in, but as they did, from the other side of the hallway was Zack, Ivy, and Shadowsan. The two stopped before the kiss and were in quite the compromising position.

"Hey! J-Jules?" Ivy asked. "Is that you?"

The two remained frozen, but things do have a way of making themselves worse. From the other elevator, a freight elevator nearby, the A.C.M.E. agents emerged from it, aiming their stun guns.

"Freeze! You are all under arrrrr-gent?" Chase squawked as the three stood confused at this sight.

Everyone stood frozen while the alarm blared all around them. There seemed like there was no way out, but with quick and decisive thinking...or so she thought, Tigress quickly grabbed Julia from behind, holding her by the neck in a hostage hold.

"Nobody move! Or I'll cut her pretty little neck right open!" she moved a claw right towards Julia's neck.

"Help, help! She's crazy! She'll kill me!" Julia yelled, getting the idea for their hastily planned ruse.

"Let her go!" Chase ordered.

"Over your dead body! Now listen up, were gonna do this nice and easy-like. I'm gonna take Agent Argent here and move her to the elevator, and if anyone tries to stop me, she's gonna be one sorry secret agent, capice?" No one said anything as Tigress and Julia backed towards the elevator, Julia still gripping onto the bags of gold which did not go unnoticed by Chase, and certainly by Zari, the door closed.

"After her!" Chase ordered and they went for their own elevator.

"Quick, we gotta—" Zack started to run, only to again be stopped by Shadowsan. "Stairs?"

"Stairs" he retorted, they made a break for the staircase.

DREAM SEQUENCE

Carmen now found herself running through what appeared to be the halls of a hospital, or more than likely an insane asylum. Carmen hears shooting from round the corner of a hallway. She turned and saw multiple people bleeding and dying if not dead. An alarm was blaring around her.

"Oh my God" Carmen cried.

She continued to walk, seeing these armed gunman slaughtered in front of her. She turned another corner and someone was firing randomly until he collapsed on the floor, a knife was in his heart. Carmen continued along almost like a robot, smelling the stench of death all around her. Carmen stopped when she came to one near-corpse. It was Zari, who grabbed Carmen by the ankle with one last breath.

"It was you" she then died.

"What? No! I didn't do this! I didn't do any of—"

"Why of course you did."

A voice pierced Carmen's ear drums. She turned around slowly to see it was the figure standing behind her, the very figure who was chasing her from before. She came into the light, and Carmen's eyes went wide...it was her.

"Hello there, Carmen..."

HARDIN COUNTY KENTUCKY 2111 HOURS

Tigress and Julia were sweating as they rode the elevator down to the first floor.

"This is not good" Julia huffed.

"No-no, it can still work. Actually this works better now, I use you as a hostage and we safely get transported onto the chopper and helo our way out of here. I'll "let you go" somewhere in Indiana, you call A.C.M.E. and they pick you up."

"And we still have the gold" Julia mused.

"Boom."

"Now I can finish what I couldn't give you earlier" Julia wrapped her arms around Tigress and gave her a quick kiss. They released as the elevator dinged. The door opened and Tigress put Julia back in the hostage hold, no one seemed to be around as the two took a step forward.

Suddenly, a grenade of some sort was tossed into the elevator.

"Smoke grenade!" Julia yelled.

It exploded, engulfing the girls in a plume of smoke. They felt some people usher them out of the smoke filled elevator, and sure enough, it was the A.C.M.E. agents. Anthony Falco was trying to apprehend Tigress with her wrists behind her back.

"Miss Argent! Are you alright?" Chase asked

"Um..." Julia nervously looked down at Tigress who looked up nervously at her. "Y-yes, I am fine"

"Okay, so you are under arrest and uh...uh...hey Chase, can you give me a spot here, bud?"

"What?"

"I've never had to Miranda anyone before, I don't know what to say" Anthony said a tad embarrassed. Chase made a facepalm.

"I'm not from this country and I have it memorized. Here. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand these rights as I have explained them to you—and you, Agent Falco?"

"Oh yeah, I understand now, thanks."

"Yeah" Tigress sighed.

"It's lucky we found you, Argent" a suspicious Zari said.

"Um, yes, it is, thank you." Julia nodded. "Very lucky, indeed."

"It's funny, how you just found your way here...over 2,000 miles away."

"Well I mean—"

"Because this mission wasn't supposed to happen, it actually doesn't exist, technically" Zari continued.

"That is right. After you left yesterday, we discovered a security breach from a suspicious flash drive" Chase added. Julia's eyes widened a little.

"O-Oh?"

"Yeah, we believe one of our agents might...not be who they seem" Zari continued as Tigress and Julia looked at one another nervously. "See, the only three people who knew about this mission were myself, Agent Falco, and Special Agent Devineaux. Not even Chief knew about this."

"Yes, that's true. How did you end up here, Agent Argent?" Chase asked.

"Well Argent? You gonna answer him?" Zari asked.

Julia started to sweat. She nervously looked at Tigress, then back at the other agents. She started to hyperventilate, hoping for a miracle. In Fear And Faith by Circa Survive started to play as we fade to black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading everyone, comments and kudos always appreciated! And if you thought this chapter is heavy, wait'll you read the next one!


	10. Blind Spot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I feel as though I give too much away in these loglines for the incoming chapter, so I’ll keep this brief: Carmen battles...well, herself in her dream while in actuality it is all her inner demons wrapped up in a version of her and gives her more questions than answers on Marauder, Chase Devineaux finally goes over to Anthony’s house and as for Julia...I’ll let you guys read for yourselves...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter in particular will be fairly violent, just a warning.

HARDIN COUNTY KENTUCKY 2127 HOURS

Julia stood frozen as she was put on an impromptu trial. She could feel her heart about to jump out of her chest, her beats were loud and pounding through her body. Some flop sweat started to form on her forehead, partially from the adrenaline rush, being a professional kick-butt thief was a good fat burner; and partially from Zari and Chase grilling her as to how she just ended up at Fort Knox out of the blue.

Julia was racking this in her brain: 'how did they find out?' she thought she had everything planned in perfect secrecy. But then again, she wondered why she couldn't find her USB after she got home the previous evening and figured it was merely misplaced.

Julia took a half step back and slowly reached into the back of her coat, revealing a small pouch where she stored her Crackle Rod. Only Tigress could see her slowly try to reach for it. The platinum Blonde was handcuffed with Anthony covering her. Chase and Zari had their eyes on Julia's face. The pixie cut double agent turned her ire towards Zari, staring daggers at her, again slowly reaching for her concealed weapon.

"Well Miss Argent? Explain yourself" Chase demanded with stringency.

"Now" Zari commanded. "Why are you here? How did you get here?"

"Well..." Julia hissed. "You see..."

Julia knew she was outnumbered. Tigress was cuffed and there were three highly skilled...I mean, three fairly...well, she was just outnumbered. But she knew she could take Chase and probably Anthony, it was Zari that was the dark horse. But, never mind the surge of security and troops waiting for them outside the vault fort. But even the great Marauder knew she didn't have an excuse this time. Oh well, it was a fun secret while it lasted.

She assumed she could escape with Tigress and spirit themselves to V.I.L.E. HQ where Julia didn't even think what they would do to her for this unsanctioned heist which was clearly failing. Not to mention, what worth was she to V.I.L.E. if her secret identity was put out in the open. But getting caught by A.C.M.E. was definitely not at the forefront of her mind and Julia surely wasn't going to prison simply because her hubris got the better of her.

Go figure, one heist she planned herself with minimal assistance had to go awry and now she was in a proverbial rock and a hard place. She reached inside the back of her jacket and into the pouch, gripping the electric rod.

"You see, you've just made a huge mis—"

"I kidnapped her!"

Everybody froze. Their eyes turned to Tigress who blurted the incriminating confession...even though it was an outright lie. Well, in this instance it was a lie. Julia turned to Tigress and her eyes widened. She gently shook her head while Tigress's facial expression went from worried to sure of herself...she had to heed her own advice.

"That's right. Marauder and I. We tailed this little runt after the Vatican. We figured you dolts seem to have high levels of security clearance and V.I.L.E. was really interested in Fort Knox. So we thought we'd choose your weakest link to uh...get us here, so to speak" she explained, looking right at Julia and making a subtle wink. Julia quickly moved the inch or two of the rod out of view and back into her coat pocket, no one seemed to notice.

"And where is Marauder?" Chase asked.

"She got away, and uh, she got the gold, too" Tigress confessed.

"Billions in gold? Yeah right" Zari scoffed.

"We have our ways" Tigress smirked.

"I don't buy it" Zari hissed.

"No, really. We're that good"

"Then what's in these bags?" Chase asked, about to peek inside one of them.

"Tools!" Tigress blurted in order to stop him from seeing the shrunken gold. "J-Just tools."

"Is all this true, Julia? Did they kidnap you?" Chase asked.

"Um..." And cue Julia's acting abilities. Her eyes started to tear up, just like at the Vatican. "Oh yes. It was so awful. They-t-they forced me...into this van with a bag over my head and Marauder she told me that unless I cooperated she would kill me and throw my remains in a river somewhere. I-I-I-I had no choice" Julia started to sob.

"Yeah-yeah, go ahead and cry ya little baby" Tigress mocked her to keep up appearances. "Now that your buddies are here to protect you."

"Hey-hey, that's enough lip out of you" Anthony demanded. "I seem to recall you having the right to remain silent."

"Sure, now you remember" Chase sighed, making a facepalm.

"I am so grateful you showed up. They forced me to bypass security and watch as they used this device to teleport all the gold out of the vault" Julia lied. "It was so horrible to watch."

"It is alright, Miss Argent, we are here" Chase assured her.

"Will you be alright to travel with us?" Zari asked.

"Y-yes. I-I-I think so" Julia choked up.

They moved to the outside of the vault. From the outside and from a safe distance, Zack, Ivy, and Shadowsan watched Tigress get led out of the vault in handcuffs. "Whoa, Devineaux did something right" Ivy chuckled.

"But, where is Marauder?" Shadowsan asked.

"Probably got away" Zack shrugged. "But it won't matter since Tigress will probably crack under pressure."

"No, she won't" Shadowsan deadpanned.

"She won't?" The twins parroted in unison.

"You know what V.I.L.E. did to Crackle. It's policy, if an operative is caught they are sent do be "debriefed" and their mind is wiped of any involvement in the Villains International League of Evil. And true, A.C.M.E. is far different from any local police agency, but V.I.L.E. has their ways, unless she can pull off a miracle, this may be the last we see of Tigress."

"Meh, I'm okay with that" Zack nodded.

"Ditto, bro."

"Come on, they've already got the gold, our work here is done. Let's get back home before they discover us" Shadowsan insisted.

"Right. But first, can we get ice cream?" Zack asked, earning him the Ninja's glare.

SEATTLE WASHINGTON SAME TIME

Chief had returned to the security room, trying in vain to go over the footage the day she believed the footage was stolen, and even the few days beforehand. She couldn't see the filing cabinets, but she would see Julia working in the room.

One image caught her eye, albeit fleeting. Julia had left the room, most likely when she went to go listen to the tape, but as she was leaving Chief noticed from the camera it looked like Julia was trying to stuff something inside of her coat pocket. This definitely seemed suspicious.

"Hmm..." Chief scratched her chin.

DREAM SEQUENCE

A flabbergasted Carmen stood frozen. Still inside her dream she was again in this hallway of what appeared to be an obvious insane asylum as death and destruction were rampant from far and wide.

Amidst the chaos stood Carmen as she stood down an obvious doppelganger of herself. Carmen was in her street clothes while the doppelganger wore her trademark red duster and fedora, looking strikingly similar to the image Carmen saw after being defeated by Marauder in Vatican city.

"You're me" Carmen said barely audible. "I've been chasing myself in my own dreams."

"That's right, Carmen Sandiego" she said in a disembodied voice. "I am Black Sheep. I am the person you truly are, and when you're finally ready to admit that we can be unstoppable."

"What are you rambling about?" Carmen rolled her eyes .

"What's this good girl routine?" Black Sheep asked. "We were raised to be thieves—raised to work for an institution called V.I.L.E."

"right. And then we—I mean I saw first-hand what their thievery does to people It's harmful. It has consequences! And I couldn't live my life knowing that! That's why I do what I do! I want to do whatever it takes to take them down! Once and for all!"

"Hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm" Black Sheep chuckled. "And look at all this destruction you've caused in doing so."

"You did this!" Carmen insisted.

"Sure, perhaps. But what about reality? Your obsessions are pushing everyone in your life away from you—which is like killing them."

"You're insane" Carmen deadpanned.

"Well I'm you, so isn't that a bit hypocritical?"

"You're in my head! This is a nightmare!"

"Which could become reality. You've burned so many bridges already, you might as well finish them off, properly. If you're so interested in taking down V.I.L.E., you must do what is absolutely necessary to succeed."

"No! No, I can be better! I am not like you! I'm not!" Carmen insisted.

"You don't have to convince me, you have to convince your friends, and everyone you've ever known" as she said that a spotlight shined down on one of the dead, it was Shadowsan.

"Shadowsan" Carmen put her hand over her mouth and ran over to him.

"I'll let you two say your goodbyes. I have a morgue to fill" Black Sheep chuckled and headed down the hall. A determined Carmen snarled and took off after her.

SKIES ABOVE THE FLYOVER STATES 2243 HOURS

Inside the A.C.M.E. jet. Chase and Anthony happily sat at a table, looking across to a homemade cell where inside a cuffed Tigress sat on a bench. This was a sad homage to when Zack and Ivy kidnapped her, except there was no explosion to save her this time.

Nearby Zari glanced her head over at Tigress but would occasionally look over at the restroom where Julia was inside.

The English-Asian anxiously tapped her foot on the floor as she sat on the toilet seat and stared at her V.I.L.E. communicator as the call connected. It finally did, and the Faculty were sitting at their crappy card table.

"Marauder. What seems to be the trouble?" Gunnar asked.

"We have a situation" Julia blurted.

"Whoa-whoa-whoa, slow down, Lambkins, what kind of situation?" Brunt asked.

"Um..." Julia rubbed the back of her head with her free hand, the stress was about to get to her.

"Marauder. What's going on?" Gunnar asked.

Julia sighed. "I went on a caper with Tigress."

"Tigress? Has she seen my shrink ray? Or my new wrist laser? She was the last in the lab before they went missing" Bellum asked.

"Yes, we have it...they have it" Julia facepalmed.

"They?" Gunnar stringency retorted.

"A.C.M.E." Julia huffed. "We were going to rob Fort Knox and surprise you all with the gold, but A.C.M.E. somehow found out the plan and intercepted us."

"Wait-wait-wait, time out" Brunt interrupted her. "Would that explain where you two took the chopper?"

"Yes, Coach Brunt."

"So the helicopter isn't getting a tune-up?"

"No, Coach Brunt" Julia sighed.

"What became of the heist, Marauder?" Roundabout asked.

"We were discovered, but Tigress made it appear as I was kidnapped. They don't suspect my alter ego whatsoever" Julia assured them.

"I feel as though a "but" is coming on?" Gunnar sighed.

"But Tigress was apprehended. We are on a plane back to A.C.M.E. HQ. They think "Marauder" has the gold, when in reality it is in several sacks on the plane."

"Wait, all of it?" Bellum asked. "My little shrink ray did all that?"

"There must be billions in gold there, I'd say" Roundabout queried.

"You mean to tell me more than half of the gold reserves of the United States is currently sitting in burlap sacks on a plane...right now?" Brunt asked.

"Faculty please. We have bigger problems" Gunnar stopped their premature celebration. "Marauder, I'm not disappointed in your unsanctioned heist, I'm disappointed in that in doing so one of our operatives has been discovered by a law enforcement agency! Do you know the penalty for being captured as a V.I.L.E. agent?"

"I have a few ideas" Julia choked up, eyes welling.

"Your blunder has cost Tigress dearly" Bellum continued.

"Wait!" Julia stopped them. "I-I think I can get Tigress out of this jam" she insisted. "She has not revealed anything about herself, not even her code name."

"But they've seen her now" Brunt growled, slamming a fist onto the table. "She might as well be good as caught."

"Well, they know what you look like, Coach. From when you and the traitor, Shadowsan kidnapped Chase Devineaux in Poitiers."

"Wait, they do?" Brunt asked.

"But they know nothing else. Besides, for the brief moment Carmen Sandiego collaborated with A.C.M.E. I'm sure she had given our Chief any names."

Gunnar sighed as the Faculty mulled this over. "What do you propose we do, Marauder? Normally we would give you the orders but this problem was not only caused by you, but incidentally you are uniquely the only one who can effectively remedy it."

"I-I can manipulate security at A.C.M.E. HQ, cause some disarray. Then I can have Tigress sneak out with the gold. A.C.M.E. thinks she and "Marauder" kidnapped me and brought me to Fort Knox. It might work out to have "her" break out Tigress."

"And risk you getting captured, too? That's the last thing we need" Gunnar boomed.

"I agree. This is most disappointing" Bellum shook her head.

"I blame myself" Brunt huffed. "Honey, maybe you weren't ready so quickly."

"This is a most troubling situation" Roundabout piled on.

There was some silence as Julia started to tear up, assuming her V.I.L.E. days were numbered. But, Countess Cleo remained oddly silent throughout this interrogation. Finally, she spoke up, breaking the awkward silence.

"I say we let her do it."

Everyone looked at Cleo with raised eyebrows. "What?" Brunt asked.

"Cleo, are you feeling alright?" Bellum shrugged.

"I'm fine, Saira. I think we should let Marauder rescue Tigress."

"But what if she's caught?" Gunnar asked.

"She's already bested their top operatives and has been fooling all of them. Not to mention twice defeating Carmen Sandiego. If there is anyone perfectly suited to carry this out, it's Marauder."

Julia wiped her tears away. "Thank you, Countess."

"But, this breaks our protocol" Roundabout protested.

"We've been breaking protocol for months, ever since we've had to relocate" Cleo countered. "We hardly have multiple operatives handle checkpoints on capers anymore, instead everyone's been acting like Paper Star."

"Cleo's right. And it was my idea to bring Julia into our family anyhow, that's not exactly by the book" Brunt shrugged.

Gunnar sighed. "Is it safe to say that is how you two plan to vote?" he asked. Cleo and Brunt smirked and raised their hands. "Can you retrieve the gold and Tigress, Marauder?"

"Without fail, Professor Maelstrom. Without fail" she assured him.

"While this unanticipated disaster is most disappointing, you have not let us down yet" he said, before raising his hand, making a majority. "However, while A.C.M.E. may know some things about us, this is more than they've ever been dealt. We will need...something of theirs to truly feel like we have the upper hand."

"How do you mean?" Julia asked.

"I think I know" Roundabout smiled. "In order for A.C.M.E. to forget about this snafu they will have to have some sort of distraction to keep them from looking into this heist with any seriousness."

"In short, we need a sacrificial lamb" Brunt smiled.

"Quite. Bring us one of your own agents as a tribute so A.C.M.E. can focus their energy on retrieving them instead of investigating Tigress and Fort Knox" Gunnar explained.

Julia sighed. This wasn't exactly something she wanted to do, but she knew she had to. And she had just the agent in mind. "My former partner: Chase Devineaux. He has more security clearance than most of A.C.M.E. at this point."

"Ooh, Mr. Tall, French, and handsome? I'm down" Brunt squeaked. "Is he single? Nah, never mind, don't tell me. I'll figure it out for myself" Brunt cooed, puffing up her hair.

"Very well. Once you've freed Tigress and the gold, focus your energy on getting this Chase Devineaux to us" Gunnar ordered.

"I will not fail you, Professor."

"And Marauder?" Cleo warned her. "If you EVER pull a stunt like this again, there SHALL be severe consequences. Am I clear?"

"Of course, Countess Cleo. Thank you."

"We found the chopper's GPS" Roundabout explained, looking at one of Bellum's screens. "It's in a clearing."

"Perfectly hidden" Julia promised them.

"I'll dispatch the Cleaners to pick 'er up" Brunt nodded, taking her leave from the Faculty.

"Right then, bonne chance, Marauder. We're counting on you" Gunnar huffed. He ended the transmission.

Julia sighed and wiped some sweat from her brow. Great, now she had to free Tigress, the gold, and kidnap Chase. But, it was what had to be done, and besides, she didn't mind because if there was one person who deserved some sort of restitution for wronging Julia, it was Chase.

She figured he would just be a mind controlled stooge being a janitor or boyfriend for Coach Brunt anyway, and her loyalty wasn't to him. He was never even nice to Julia so it wasn't like she even felt bad.

Furthermore, if she was able to convince the Faculty to go against their long held protocol in this matter, she could probably convince them to merely hold him prisoner, which Julia would have preferred so she could watch him suffer first hand. She put her communicator away and walked out of the restroom. All eyes were on Tigress. Zari briefly looked Julia's way but Julia thought all three agents were staring at her.

"You feeling alright, Argent?" Anthony asked.

"I am fine, Agent Falco. Just fine" she sighed racking up every possible scenario in her head to save Tigress while not taking her eyes off her.

Chase leaned back in the chair he sat in, scratching his chin and smirking as he eyed up the restrained feline-obsessed villainess. "Take a picture" she scorned.

"You look familiar to me" he mused. "Wait a minute" he suddenly stood up. "It was you, wasn't it!"

Julia gulped. "W-What do you mean?" she asked him.

"It was you, not Carmen Sandiego who destroyed my lucky coat on Fisherman's Wharf!"

"Bill me" Tigress deadpanned. "It was a stupid coat, anyway."

"You had a lucky coat?" Anthony asked Chase.

"Had. Until this scoundrel tore the lower half right off me! I shall add it to your list of charges."

"Where did they grab you, Agent Argent?" Zari asked.

"Outside my apartment. I was...going to grab my car and drive to Bellevue to grab some pastries before going to work."

"Was it Rosetti's on Grove Avenue? They have the greatest cannoli's" Anthony guessed.

"Focus, Anthony" Chase groaned, rubbing his temples. He turned to Tigress "You are in a lot of trouble my blonde friend. You are going to need some help if you are to be gotten out of this jam you find yourself in."

"Drop dead" Tigress gritted her teeth.

"Billions of dollars in gold, gone" Zari groused. "How long before people get wind of this. The economy would go into turmoil."

"Do not fret, Agent Zari. She will tell us where the gold is hidden before the trading bell on Wall Street is rung tomorrow."

"Can I like, get some water, or something?" Tigress asked. "Please?"

"Oh, you mean this water?" Chase mocked her, grabbing a bottle of Smart Water on the table. It was half drunk but he cruelly downed the rest of it, making an obvious ahhhh sound once he was finished. "So refreshing." He smirked. Tigress glared.

"Come on, I'm really thirsty" she begged.

"Maybe you can tell us some information and we'll give you all the water you can drink" Zari promised her.

"As long as it's within five bottles, we only have a six pack on board, currently" Anthony reported.

"I'll get you some water" Julia said, grabbing one of the bottles. She walked over to the cell and opened it, and leaned it to Tigress's parched lips.

"An altruist to the bitter end. Giving sustenance to the very person who kidnapped you. See Agent Argent, this is your problem, you are far too kind. If it were me it would take all my strength not to throw her out of this plane...with a lead parachute" Chase sneered.

Julia growled but then regained her composure. "I'm not as nice as you think, Special Agent Devineaux" she jeered, and Tigress sipped the water. Their heads were close, only the bars separated them. "I have a plan" Julia mouthed barely audible. Tigress finished drinking and quietly nodded. Julia sat back down.

"Well, it appears as though your friend Marauder wasn't of much help" Chase mocked Tigress. "She roams free leaving you to take the fall."

Tigress put on a light smirk. "Don't hold your breath."

Chase narrowed his eyes and the trip was largely in silence. Julia turned to Chase and scowled at him while he triumphantly had his eyes locked onto Tigress.

DREAM SEQUENCE

Carmen chased Black Sheep through the asylum of her soul, which sounds like a scream-o band, no? The stench of death assaulted her nostrils seeing many dead faceless people as she chased this evil version of herself through this nightmare.

She tried to corner Black Sheep. "End of the line!" Carmen called.

"Aw, but Carmen...don't you wanna see what I have?"

Black Sheep turned and dragged the lifeless bodies of Zack and Ivy, dropping them in front of Carmen, who teared up. "And to think, you weren't there to save them."

"I was there! I did save them!"

"No, you're killing them. And think about it, how long before these two amateurs end up end up dead because of your vision. V.I.L.E. has already captured them once, how long before they do so again, huh?"

"No. No Zack and Ivy...they can handle it. They're formidable!"

"Yeah right. They're just one slip-up away from being put into body bags, all because of you!" Black Sheep pointed. "You're a menace."

"You're insane!"

"I'm you! Don't you get it? We're one in the same, Carmen Sandiego! Just like our father, the great Dexter Wolfe. Two thieves with different aspirations. But were the same. How long before it finally catches up with us?"

"I am not like Dexter Wolfe!" Carmen hissed.

"Sure you're not. Think of it this way, Carmen. Even if Wolfe could escape with you that night and be together with you, you have his sickness. You're a natural born thief, and that's all you'd ever amount to. How long before you'd start pickpocketing schmucks on the street, or stealing from department stores? How long before you're locked up for your crimes and your parents shame you? Cause you know that's exactly what would happen. You could never live a normal life. And you'll never feel at ease!"

Suddenly, a doorway opened next to Black Sheep revealing a staircase. "See ya around" she took off up them while Carmen sprinted to the dead Zack and Ivy. She clenched her fists and wiped back some tears before running up after Black Sheep.

SEATTLE WASHINGTON 2004 HOURS

Chief was extensively looking over footage of Julia's days at A.C.M.E. when she returned, the blind spot of the filing cabinets and Julia surreptitiously leaving the room with something from there were making her increasingly uneasy.

Her brain ticking, Chief looked over the hacked security footage from the London debacle, remembering Julia was acting very strange afterwards. She saw a street camera capture the moment Chase left Julia, and the semi-disguised Tigress offering Julia the knock-out laced ice cream. Unfortunately for Chief, the camera became fuzzy and malfunctioned right before Julia accepted the Cornetto as Chief remembered that being the case from their earlier encounter.

"Of course" she sighed, rubbing her temples. A knock came at the door. "I'm busy!" she called, not even looking back. The door opened anyway, revealing Agent Zari. "Chief?"

"Zari?" Chief turned her way in the chair. "Where have you been?"

"We had a situation, it was a very sensitive matter" she cryptically explained.

"Look, Agent Zari, I'm not in the mood for the spy-speak, could you please—"

"We captured a V.I.L.E. operative" Zari interrupted her.

Chief was taken aback. "Oh?"

"Agent Falco and Special Agent Devineaux are interrogating the operative as we speak."

Chief smiled. "I'll draw up the paper work myself. Such a special occasion deserves as much" she stood up. "By the way, how did you three happen upon such an operative?"

"I'll explain on the way to your office. But it involves suspicions you and Devineaux have. It's best we discuss in a secure location" Zari insisted.

"By all means" Chief nodded, and followed her out, leaving the room empty.

A moment later, Julia entered the room. Perfect. She quickly combed over the security camera footage, coming to the interrogation room where Tigress was sitting. Julia quickly shut off all the cameras, and tore out the hard drives to each one and destroying them for good measure. She left the room, determination on her face.

Inside the concrete interrogation room, which had the usual steel door, two-way mirror window, steel desk with two steel chairs on either end, and very long hanging swinging lamp. Tigress nervously sat on the side facing the mirror and door, handcuffs locked onto her wrists which in front of her instead of behind her back from earlier. Her claw gloves were no longer on her hands, being in the evidence locker. Chase entered the room, smug grin on his face. He sat on the opposite chair, holding up a picture of Tigress's newly developed mugshot.

"You take a nice photo" he showed it to her. "Now then, where should we begin."

"Lawyer" Tigress deadpanned.

"But, I think we should first—"

"Lawyer" she hissed.

"But we—"

"Lawyer" Tigress retorted.

"But—"

"Lawy-er" Tigress mouthed each syllable.

"Oh come on, let's late at night, you were singing like a canary before" Chase complained.

"I'm not saying another word until I talk to the lawyer I am entitled to" Tigress said reaffirming her rights. Though she was clearly stalling for time.

Chase groaned, rolling his eyes. "Do you have a lawyer in mind you would like for us to contact?" Chase asked.

"Um...well, no, actually. I've never even been arrested before" Tigress nervously shrugged.

"Stop the presses" Chase groused.

"So, do you have like, like a catalog I can look through, or something?" Tigress asked, not knowing the first thing about this process.

Chase chuckled. "Oh sure. Let me dust off our menu for legal counsel. Would you like an ambulance chaser or someone with more gravitas?" He walked up to the door and opened it, where in the outer office, Anthony was sitting at a desk watching the two-way mirror. "Hey Anthony, she wants to know if we have...if we have a catalog of lawyers we can recommend!"

"Oh yeah" Anthony laughed along with him. "Let me get my copy of legal counsel quarterly."

"Yeah, make sure it's a recent issue" Chase chuckled.

"Wait-wait, hold on, I got Mark Geragos on line three! Or-or-or I'll see if Alan Dershowitz has any free time!"

"Ha-ha, I don't know who either of those two are" Chase laughed.

"It's not funny" Tigress hissed.

"You're right, it's hilarious. Now listen up, blondie" Chase stopped laughing. "You're going to get the most underpaid and overworked public defender we can find, have fun" he closed the door behind him, leaving the mugshot on the table. Tigress sighed, truly scared for the first time in her life.

Inside the room, Chase and Anthony kept laughing at Tigress's expense. Julia suddenly barged in, composing herself. She looked to see a monitor for the camera feed into the interrogation room, as this particular camera was directly linked to the monitor and couldn't be turned off remotely.

"Miss Argent" Chase cheered. "You're just in time! Anthony is contacting the King County legal division to get your kidnapper a public defender."

"Yes, do you have anyone with a heavy caseload?" Anthony asked on the phone, winking at Julia. "Good, and what's his success rate? . . . He's never won a case? Sold! We'll take him."

Julia gulped. "I want to interrogate her."

"What?" Chase asked, confused.

"You heard me. I wish to interrogate her."

"But, she kidnapped you? How can you stomach to be in the same room as her?" Chase asked.

"Exactly, and I have the best knowledge of her exploits."

Chase and Anthony shrugged. "True. And she is harmless in handcuffs. But you're wasting your time, she won't talk to us, she wants a lawyer present" Chase explained.

"Hmm, well, what if we learn what we can and make her think she isn't being filmed?"

"What do you mean?" Anthony asked.

"We turn off the speakers and I make her think this cannot be admissible in court?"

"But, that would be breaking protocol" Chase explained. "You never break protocol."

"Do you want her convicted or not, "Special" Agent Devineaux?"

Chase smirked. "Maybe you are not as nice as you seem, Agent Argent."

"I told you."

"I say go for it."

"Good" Julia turned off the speakers to the camera. "Do not turn those on until I leave, I will give you all the details I can."

"Of course."

"Good luck, Julia" Anthony gave her the thumbs up. Julia nodded and entered the room, closing the door behind her. She walked to the empty seat.

"I've turned off the microphones. They can see us but they cannot hear us" Julia explained. "Quick, we have to make it look like we are fighting so we can act convincing, they are watching us."

"Okay" Tigress nodded.

"First, I will slam my fists onto the desk to make it sound like I am still very angry for being kidnapped."

"And then I will scoff at your disgust."

"I will shake my fist in your face to establish dominance!"

"And then I'm gonna mock you because I think those fists are puny."

"And I will shake my head at you to say that I am no longer afraid."

"Fine, then I will make jazz hands to further mock you or something."

"Then I shall shake my finger at your face, to tell you your resistance is futile!"

Inside the outer office Chase and Anthony watched this pantomime intently. "Gee, Argent really is going at it" Anthony noted.

"She learned from the best" Chase smiled.

Back inside. "And now I will stand up to ensure that I still have control!" Tigress continued

"Fine, but will get in your face to tell you the evidence is overwhelmingly against you."

"And then I will sit back down and look away in defeat."

"Okay, I think that should be enough. We can talk normally now" Julia said, sitting in the chair.

"OMG Julia, I'm so scared. I-I-I don't know what's gonna be worse! Will V.I.L.E. get to me first or-or-or-or will I go to jail? I don't look good in orange or stripes!" Tigress then gasped. "It's you isn't it? You're gonna wipe my memory, aren't you?"

"Tigress, calm down. I have discussed with the faculty. I told you I have a plan. No harm will come to you."

"Wait, they're not mad?"

"Oh no, they're quite furious. In fact we have to at some point abscond with Devineaux as tribute so A.C.M.E. won't focus on investigating you. But, you will be free."

"So you do have a plan?"

"Absolutely...sort of" Julia winced.

"We can't work off of 'sort of'. We need action."

"It's a long shot but it will work. First: you will have to get into the evidence locker and steal back the gold and the V.I.L.E. tech, including your gloves and make it outside. I can direct the agents to another part of the facility but you will have to manage the first part on your own."

"Okay. Where's the evidence kept? I had a bag over my head when we left the plane and got it taken off after my mugshot then put on my head again and brought here."

"Leave the outer office, make a left, when the hallway ends there will be two elevators, take either one and go up one floor—or the stairs next door. Make a right and it is the third door on your left. I will see to it, that it will be open. Go back down three flights to our tunnels, you will meet me there and I will direct you outside. I've already taken care of the security cameras" Julia explained.

"But, what if we're seen together again?" Tigress asked.

"We won't. I will make sure of it."

"Okay, God I just wanna reach across this table and make out with you" Tigress blushed.

"Soon, my tiger" Julia said

"How will I know when to move?" Tigress asked.

Julia smiled and subtly took out a pair of keys and slid them underneath he table. No one could've seen it. "Our handcuff keys are universal. They are underneath the table, an alarm will sound and this door will automatically open, that is your cue. Good luck" Julia stood up and winked.

"But, we will make out later, right?" Tigress asked.

"You ask like it is a question" Julia swooned, and then exited the room, closing the door behind her. "You were right, she won't crack."

"You did your best" Chase shrugged. "We will have the public defender here momentarily."

"Great" Julia sarcastically nodded, and then left.

DREAM SEQUENCE

Carmen wandered the death covered halls of the asylum aimlessly following disembodied laughter and footsteps that never yielded any results. Music started to play in the background, making the situation much more eerie, Sunday Bloody Sunday by U2. Finally, Carmen came to a bloodied set of footprints.

She gulped, and followed them down a hallway. Carmen suddenly felt something she didn't feel before in her back. She reached behind her and realized she was now carrying Matty's pistol. She gripped the handle and aimed it down the hall as she slowly advanced, the laughter becoming louder with each step. She followed the footprints into an experimentation room where an operating table was angled towards her. Surgical lights were overhead. Who was in the middle of the room? Black Sheep.

"You came prepared" Black Sheep mused.

"I'm not going to let you control me! Control my thoughts!"

"Well that's unfortunate, because you know that's not going to happen. I am everything you fear and hate, and you know it's only a matter of time before you let all that consume you."

Carmen raised the pistol at Black Sheep but her grip was shaky. "You don't have it in you."

"Try me" Carmen sneered.

"I'll do you one better. Would you kill me if I—" Suddenly Black Sheep transformed right in front of Carmen, turning into Dexter Wolfe.

"—Looked like this?"

"No...no!"

"What's the matter Carmen? How come we never spend any quality time?"

"you're not—you're not Dexter Wolfe! You're messing with my head!"

"Of course she is."

Carmen heard a voice behind her wail, blocking her exit. Carmen turned to see it belonged to Marauder. The song faded. "YOU!"

"That's right, Carmen Sandiego. It's me. The one person you will never defeat!"

"That's not true!"

"Isn't it?" Dexter asked from behind her now. "It seems like you're 0 for 2 with her."

"No. I will break you. I have to know, how do you do it? Who are you?"

"I can't reveal secrets to you."

"Then I'll make you talk!" Before Carmen could fire, the magazine fell out of the gun. Carmen quickly bent down, seeing the bullets flew out of the clip and onto the floor. "No!" she hastily tried to pick up the rounds.

"Better hurry Carmen!" Dexter urged her. "Your friend desperately needs your help."

Carmen turned and suddenly saw Julia strapped to the table, a circular saw was brought down from above and slowly moved its way towards Julia's body.

"Carmen! Carmen help me!"

"Jules! I'm coming! I-I-I can help!" Carmen sobbed as she tried in vain to reload the gun.

"You did this to her!" Marauder mocked Carmen.

"Hurry Carmen! Help!" Julia called.

"No-no!"

"You're pathetic!" Dexter scorned her. The blade was now inches from Julia.

"No-no! Nooooooooo!"

SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA 2213 HOURS

Carmen awoke in an icy cold sweat. She breathed deeply, falling back onto her pillow. It was just a nightmare...quite possibly the worst she's ever had. And she's had some doosies over the course of the series thus far.

Carmen wiped the sweat from her face and glanced over at the desk containing the pistol. "Okay Marauder. No more games" Carmen said quietly.

SEATTLE WASHINGTON 2151 HOURS

Sometime earlier, Julia was ready to put her plan into motion. She went into the security room where no one was around. She went over to the main control board and swiped through the interactive screen, the security alert was visible on the screen. She took a deep breath.

"And here...we...go!" Julia swiped the screen, and the room was engulfed in a red light and ear piercing alarm. Julia then remotely unlocked the door to the interrogation room. She stood up and casually left the room as the agents around were running to their duty stations in an urgent panic.

Inside the outer office, Chase and Anthony were startled. "Security alert!" Anthony called. "I wonder who that could be?"

"Who else?" Chase asked facetiously, taking out his stun gun. "It must be Marauder, helping out her friend. We must secure the building!" Chase demanded.

"Right away, boss man!" Anthony followed Chase out of the room.

From inside, Tigress heard the alarm, this was her cue. She got underneath the table and found the keys, easily unlocking them. "Here goes...everything."

She sneaked out of the room, the doors were unlocked thanks to Julia's work. We get a close-up on the mugshot photo on the table briefly. She tip toed into the hallway, remembering Julia's instructions, and stealthily dodged A.C.M.E. agents running past her by hiding behind hallway intersections.

Inside Chief's office, she too heard the alarm and grimaced, stopping the arrest paper work she was typing up with Zari. "The security alert!" Zari noted.

"And I wonder who caused it?" Chief sarcastically wondered. "Let's move, Agent Zari!"

She nodded and they headed out of the office, but not before Chief reached into her blazer pocket, taking out her Walther PPK Carmen previously unloaded the previous evening.

Meanwhile, Tigress made it to the stairs and ran up to the second floor. In a flash she headed over to the evidence locker room, also opened. It was filled with much contraband from A.C.M.E.'s exploits. Tigress marveled at the confiscated weaponry of all sorts but was on a mission and only had a short amount of time.

"Let's see...no...no...not it...not—ooh, bingo."

She found the bags of shrunken gold while on a shelf above her was the Crackle Rod she carried and her claw gloves. Tigress figured Julia had the shrink ray. She quickly gloved up. "Ah, did you miss me?" she said to her gloves. As she grabbed the things and turned around, she was greeted by—

"Freeze!" Two A.C.M.E. agents had burst in, guns trained on Tigress. She gulped, and raised her hands.

"Well, freedom was fun while it lasted."

Suddenly, a blue haze appeared behind the agents, engulfing them. They both coughed and fell over, knocked out. When the dust settled, the shooter was revealed to be Julia. Tigress swooned and ran over to her.

"You're amazing!"

"Later, we have to get you out of here. I created a diversion on the other side of the facility. They think Marauder is there."

"But in reality, she's right here."

"And they'll never know the difference. Come on!" Julia led Tigress out of the room.

Julia had destroyed several cubicles in her wake with the Crackle Rod she carried so as to make it appear Marauder was nearby. The cavalcade of agents, led by Chase infiltrated the office area, many carrying riot shields with them.

"Sweep the area! Marauder must be here somewhere!" he demanded.

"Yes sir!" came the response from the other agents.

After a quick sweep of the messed up cubicles there didn't seem to be any sign of Marauder, or anything for that matter. "This place is clear, sir!" An agent called to Chase.

"We'll split up, take the offices on each floor above and below!"

"Yes sir!"

Meanwhile, outside...sort of, we take you to the tunnels beneath he facility...which led to the gross sewers of Seattle where the muck and yuck drained directly to Puget Sound. Julia and Tigress sneaked from a secret tunnel entrance and into the sewer.

"Is this it?" Tigress asked. "Am I free?"

"Yes. Once you go up any of these ladders on the side, you will be on the streets."

"What then?"

"Charter a plane and get back to V.I.L.E. I will do damage control here. Then we must plot how we will abduct Chase Devineaux" Julia explained.

"Wait, you're going back in there? What if you're caught?" Tigress asked.

"I will be fine. They suspect nothing" Julia promised her.

"Okay."

"Don't worry" Julia stroked Tigress's chin. "I will be fine. The fact remains, you have to get back to V.I.L.E. HQ unseen. I will contact you shortly, my love" Julia was about to turn away when Tigress grabbed her by the arm. Julia turned and blushed as Tigress pulled her in for a kiss.

The two explored each other's mouths in the gross sewer where they stood, the babbling brook of...let's call it water flowed right on by them. The two released.

"I'll contact you even faster" Tigress winked, before grabbing the things.

"Take the other Crackle rod and The shrink ray" Julia added, taking them from inside her coat and handing them to Tigress.

"Right. Good luck in there."

"I don't need luck. I just need to sell it" Julia smiled. "I learned from the best" She winked. Tigress gave her one last kiss and then headed down the sewer. Julia quickly ducked back inside and the tunnel door closed.

Julia ran back into the outer office of the interrogation room and grabbed the hard drive from the camera inside and destroyed it, thereby eliminating the only remaining copy. She sighed of relief and exited, not realizing something was left on the table inside the interrogation room...

In the office area, the alarm had been shut off as the agents had determined the place was clear. Chief was walking about the destroyed cubicles and sneered. Her fists were clenched. She holstered her weapon inside her jacket.

"This Marauder is becoming a problem" she muttered. "Report, Special Agent Devineaux" she approached the Frenchman picking up an office divider.

"No sign, Chief."

"Chief!" Julia then ran inside. "The suspect! She's gone!"

"What!?" Chase boomed.

"Well of course she's gone!" Chief groused. "Why else would the security alert have sounded?" Chief then stopped for a moment. "And Argent? Why were you over there when you should have been directed over here?"

"I wanted to secure the suspect first, somebody needed to watch her!" Julia defended.

Chief looked at the English-Asian but yet, still with her suspicious eyes brushed it off. "Well, that was good ingenuity. Start cleaning up."

"Right away, Chief" Julia nodded, and got to work. Zari was also looking at her intently.

Chief then grabbed Chase and pinned him against the nearest wall. "Chief wait, I can explain about the sus—"

"Shut-up" Chief scream whispered. "If I was ever more suspicious of our organization it's now. What has your gum-shoeing yielded?"

"I was thinking Agent Ellerbe" Chase shrugged.

"And what, is Gordon Ramsey her accomplice? Watch Argent."

"What? Julia? But she was kidnapped."

"I'm just saying. Everyone is a suspect Devineaux" Chief assured him. "Leave nothing to chance. Keep only Zari and Falco in the loop. Aside from myself. Understand?"

"Yes, Chief."

"Good" Chief then let him go. "Now clean up."

Chase then got right to work while Chief stared at Julia picking up a few things. She walked over to her. "That must have been harrowing, Argent. Being kidnapped in broad daylight."

"It was awful. Truly terrifying."

"Hmm, you should really take tomorrow off—or longer, however long you may need to truly recover from such a traumatic experience."

"I will be fine, Chief. Really" Julia assured her.

"I'm sure you will be" Chief said, about to walk away. "But, sleep on it."

"Of course, Chief. And thank you so much for your concern."

"Yes, of course" Chief nodded and turned away, her fake smile immediately failing.

Later, Julia drove to her overpriced apartment, happy everything seemingly ended well. Now all she had to do was capture Chase and spirit him over to V.I.L.E. and all fences would be mended...should be easy enough.

The bedraggled double agent parked her car and trudged up to her apartment. As she closed the door she could feel a presence. She looked down the hall, passing her kitchen/dining room and saw her bedroom door was cracked, and the light was on.

Julia gulped. Was this A.C.M.E. setting a trap for her? Had she been discovered? She got out her stun gun and tiptoed over to the door. She gulped, took a deep breath and kicked it open. But, she wasn't greeted by someone trying to do her in.

She blushed, for there on her bed, in her robe in a secretary pose, was a freshly showered Tigress. "Well, hey there, you" Tigress smiled.

"Oh, I thought you'd gone home" Julia happily mused.

"It's so late, and besides, we have some more planning to do. And you didn't really think I was going to leave you all by your lonesome again, did you?"

"I was hoping not" Julia put her weapon away.

Tigress pulled off the bedspread and revealed much of the tiny specks of gold on her bed. "Now we can actually feel what it's like to make love on a pile of gold. Annnnnnnnd—" Tigress got out the handcuffs, and twirled then on her fingers. "I figure we could play with these, too."

Julia smiled giddily and undid her jacket and blouse, then closed the door behind her.

SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA 0715 HOURS

Carmen had a fairly restful night after her nightmares and woke up early enough to go for a jog around her neighborhood, something she often did to put her mind at ease. She kept on thinking about Black Sheep, this strange and evil personality clearly living deep in the confines of her subconscious.

What did all that mean?

Did Carmen actually think she had this pure evil lying dormant within her? No. This was clearly the work of Carmen's insecurities not knowing how to properly manifest themselves. She had gotten too good advice lately to give up the ship now.

All she really could think about was Marauder and who she could have been, and how much she desperately needed to be stopped. But, while Carmen mulled all this over she heard some loud banging and rustling on the street corner nearby.

Across the street Carmen looked at a 76 Gas Station, inside the convenience store she saw two masked thugs, both female inside, brandishing weapons and threatening the cashier. Carmen stood on the corner.

"Don't do it, Carmen" she told herself. "Don't get involved. Let the police handle it."

Carmen was about to press the call button for the WALK signal for the other side of the street. The other side, leading to the gas station already had the WALK sign. She looked to see the cashier, clearly scared.

"It's not your place, don't worry about it"

Carmen then tried not to look towards the robbery. But then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw one of the robbers pistol whip the clerk. Carmen gritted her teeth, seeing the countdown on the WALK sign. She threw up her hood and walked across the street.

Inside the convenience store, no one was inside, aside from the nervous clerk, a portly gentlemen, and two young women wearing bandanas to cover their faces. One had a sawed off shotgun trained on the clerk.

"Hurry up! Fill up the bag!" The second thief demanded.

"Okay, okay! I'm going as fast as I can!" The nervous Clerk tried to shove the money from the register into the sack.

While he did this, Carmen slipped into the store, coolly walking around the aisles.

"Oop. Sorry, didn't mean to drop in on you like that" Carmen said.

"Beat it!" Shotgun said. Doesn't that sound like a cool thief's name?

"I'll be quick" Carmen assured them. She grabbed a few random things, including a protein bar, a pack Kit-Kat's, and from the cooler, a Red Bull. She took a deep breath as she closed the cooler and walked over to the register, the two wannabe thieves in awe at Carmen's boldness flaunting their threats. She put her things on the counter. "Boy, I could really use some wings right about now, am I right?" Carmen coyly said, pointing to the can of false advertisement.

(Did anyone else claim the $10 from Red Bull when they had that class action false advertisement lawsuit from a few years ago?)

Anyway, Shotgun put the barrel right to Carmen's chest. "Are you stupid, or suicidal?"

"Hey, I'm not in your business, I'm just here, making a perfectly legal transaction of goods and/or services in exchange for pieces of cotton and ink of arbitrary amounts deemed of value by the Federal Reserve, and World Bank Organization. Capitalism" Carmen's coy remarks angered the two thieves.

"Oh yeah, how's this for a transaction?" Shotgun pointed her gun to Carmen's chin. "How much ya got, little girl?"

Carmen was hoping she would say that. "Come on, you really don't want this, do you?"

"Oh but I think I do" Shotgun insisted.

"If you insist" Carmen raised one hand, then reached into her coat pocket with the other, pulling out a wad of cash.

"Whoa, this a lot of money" The other thief grabbed Carmen's wad.

"Count it" Carmen smugly insisted.

"I don't have time for that."

"Aw, but it looks like you won't have enough for your junk food" Shotgun mocked her.

"Darn. Well, it's for the best. It's not good for you anyway. And neither's this—"

With the two distracted, Carmen jerked her hand up and swatted the shotgun away before using her free hand to sucker punch Shotgun right in the face.

"Huh!?"

Carmen then made a drop kick on the other thief, knocking her into a display case of junk food. Shotgun tried to get up and put Carmen in a headlock, but Carmen flipped out of it and pushed Shotgun right into the second as she tried to get up, leaving the two of them in a painful mess on the floor. Carmen could hear police sirens in the distance gradually grow closer.

"Here, take it" Carmen grabbed her wad of cash and slung it to the both of them on the ground. "Lotta good it'll do you in prison" she threw her hood back up and walked towards the door.

"Hey uh, thank you" The Clerk said. "So like, who are you, anyway?"

Carmen stopped at the door and turned to him. "I'm Red" she smirked in perfectly cliché fashion and left the convenience store moments before the police arrived. Carmen walked down the street smirking, satisfied, a morning well spent, despite her head playing mind games on her, it was nice to do some good to keep her spirits up.

SEATTLE WASHINGTON 0912 HOURS

Chief stood in the evidence room with Chase, Anthony, and Zari. Chief was not amused.

"Great. Her gloves, and so-called "tools" all gone" Chief complained, then turning to her agents. "Does anyone have any good news to report?" Chief asked semi-rhetorically.

"Um..." Anthony spoke. "My son Georgie learned to play Beethoven's 9th all by himself. Kid's a prodigy."

Chief scowled. Chase smacked Anthony in the back of the head. "Thank you, Devineaux. Now listen up so I don't think I'm talking to the Three Stooges, I am convinced and I know you are too, that Marauder is one of our own, whether planted by V.I.L.E. or a turncoat; make no mistake, she wears a blue blazer by day. So, everything we do from now until she is captured is strictly need-to-know from missions, to what the commissary is serving for lunch. You three will be the ones who know and you will get your orders from me and me alone and you will carry them out. If ANYTHING is out of the ordinary, monitor it. That's what the M stands for in A.C.M.E. I also want smaller patrols for missions and at least one of you will lead them, on that note; Devineaux and Falco, you both will monitor current agent activity, Zari, you will look over all our most recent recruits and look for any irregularities. Understood?" Chief finished. Three heads nodded.

"We will not fail you, Chief" Chase insisted.

"I should hope not. Get to it" Chief stomped out of the room, leaving them.

"I hate everything" Chase sighed.

"I'll start looking over the recruits. Agents" Zari nodded before leaving them as well.

"What was that thing Chief was saying to you last night, big guy?" Anthony asked a she and Chase also left the room passing the agents cleaning up the mess from the previous evening.

"She thinks Miss Argent might be involved."

"Really? Hmm" Anthony thought for a moment.

"Anthony, not you too."

"She was the last person to see our suspect."

"Agent Falco, I've known Julia Argent longer than anyone else at A.C.M.E., she couldn't harm a spider, let alone be this formidable super villain. Come on!" The two continued their walk and talk.

"Well, maybe you're right."

"Of course I am, thank you" Chase said, popping a mint. "Perhaps I should check on her, see how she's doing. It's been a trying couple of weeks for her, and no one's been there for her more than me" Chase said, obviously not seeing the irony. He got out his phone, and made a call.

. . .

But Julia was still in bed, barely awake. She and Tigress were curled up under her covers, their clothes and much of the gold strewn about the bedroom. Julia heard her phone vibrate. She threw on her glasses on her nightstand and picked up her phone. "Hello?"

"Miss Argent. Chase Devineaux."

"Yes, I know you're voice. What is wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing at all. I just wanted to know how you were doing is all?"

"How am I doing?" Julia retorted.

Tigress then woke up and smirked. She pounced on Julia, laying soft feathery kisses on her neck. "Meow" she purred.

"Ohhh, um" Julia huffed. "I am great. I feel fantassssstic" she moaned.

"Really, but you seemed to be in such shock last night."

"Ohhhhhh-no, no. I am—uhhh fine. I've never been better, actually" Julia swooned, reaching a hand back to stroke Tigress's cheek.

"That's, that's good to hear. I am glad. Is uh, is someone there with you?"

"What? Uh, no-hah-hah, no, of course noooooot. I am watching television. Romantic comedy" Julia spouted.

"Oh, alright then."

Maybe it was the romantic release, but Julia hen got an idea. "Say, maybe later this evening you come to my apartment, and we can—oooooh, compare notes. Perhaps to see who Marauder could be? She mus—ahhhhh have a weakness."

"Why that sounds wonderful. I will see you at 10:00" Chase happily accepted.

"I'll see you then, "Special" Agent Devineaux. Ta-ta."

"Au revoir, mon ami" Chase hung up. Julia tossed her phone aside and spun around, now on top of Tigress.

"And just like that, we have a trap set."

"You are such a little minx. So naughty" Tigress cooed and the two continued their romance.

. . .

Chase put his phone in his jacket pocket, still with Anthony. "She is fine."

"Hey man, maybe we can compare notes too?" Anthony suggested.

"I don't know Anthony—"

"Come on man, come over, we can hang out in the man cave, watch Fargo."

"You are in your late thirties, please do not refer to your pool house as a "man cave", it's embarrassing."

"Okay fine, come over anyway. We could really use the break with this craziness lately."

"I don't know" Chase sighed, looking for an excuse.

"Come onnnnnn, Irene's got her famous guacamole, we can have some brew-skis"

"Again, late thirties" chase reminded him. "With children."

"Come on Chase, come on."

"But I'm meeting Julia—"

"Later in the evening, come on, we'll clock out early and go to my house, unwind, play some billiards and hey—it's a secure place to talk work" Chase does not deserve a friend like Anthony.

Chase groaned. Maybe it was the stress and the depression but he felt like it couldn't hurt. He shrugged. "Homemade guacamole?"

"And fajitas."

Chase facepalmed. "Alright, alright. Two beers."

"Yeah, Chase is in, woo-hoo!" he playfully punched Chase's arm.

"Alright-alright, that's enough! Before I change my mind" he ordered.

"You got it!" The two continued on.

A floor below, Chief was looking over the lower levels, an agent exited the interrogation room, carrying with them, something interesting. "Agent Wu, where'd you find that?"

"It was in the interrogation room, Chief. Where the suspect was held. This was her mugshot."

"And the footage?" Chief asked.

"Gone, I'm afraid, this is all we got left. Our scanners didn't pick up fingerprints or anything identifying marks. This is a ghost."

Chief looked at the photo and took it from the agent, staring intently at it. "Alright, good work, Agent Wu, keep scrubbing, I don't care what you find, but if it could even be remotely traced to DNA, swab it."

"Yes ma'am" he nodded before getting back to work while Chief stared at the photo.

SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA 0936 HOURS

Carmen waltzed in from her jog, feeling sweaty but fresh. This would be interrupted by Shadowsan, Zack, Ivy, Gypsy, and Vincent looking at the television, then immediately back at her. The former three were well rested after returning home from Fort Knox.

"Hey everyone" Carmen said. The five emotionlessly pointed to the TV, a local news story was showing Carmen's recent harrowing exploits at the convenience store. It was Breaking News. A security camera captured Carmen's kick-butt moves, but Carmen was careful for her face not to have been shown.

"America's Finest city may have a new face in vigilante crime fighting" the reporter said via voice over. "Just over an hour ago at a local 76 gas station near the Gaslamp Quarter this red hooded would-be hero walked in on a robbery in progress. Instead of running this newfound hero took the matter in her own hands, subduing both robbers herself."

The Clerk was then shown in a close-up with a reporter's mic to him.

"Yeah, so like, I was doing all I could but like, they had guns and stuff, but then this hot chick comes in and she's all cool and then she hands them some money, right? Then she just drop kicks them both into our coffee stand."

"Did she have a name?" the reporter asked.

"One word: Red."

"Red?" the reporter retorted. "That's all she said? A color?"

"Hey man, that's just what she called herself."

It then transitioned back to voice over. "There you have it, I guess all that San Diego's newest crime fighter is in need for is a more original name" he chuckled. "Back to you in the studio."

The focus was then turned to Carmen. "I can explain that" she nervously blurted.

"What were you thinking!?" Shadowsan fumed.

"You coulda been killed!" Gypsy shouted.

"Or at least maimed" Vincent added.

"What happened to secrecy?" Ivy asked.

"And did you get me anything at the 76?" Zack asked.

"Look guys, it's fine, that was a local news story, it'll blow over in like fifteen minutes, guaranteed."

"Why did you do it?" Shadowsan asked.

"I had to. Trust me, I just...I don't know. You guys know I've been going through a lot lately. I had to blow off some steam. Don't worry about it, no one's gonna remember this, I promise" Carmen assured them, and headed for the stairs.

In reality, she didn't know what would come of that news article, and boy was it starting to slowly bite her in the butt. She didn't want to admit that it was a stupid stunt but she wanted a little peace of mind. No one, not even her own thoughts were going to keep her down. The five looked at one another.

"Is she okay?" Ivy asked. "Really?"

"No. She's not. But maybe, hearing some good news about fort Knox might lift her spirits up so hopefully she doesn't do anything like this again" Shadowsan sighed.

"You gotta admit, it was pretty cool" Gypsy admitted.

"Pretty cool and pretty reckless" Shadowsan crossed his arms. "She's been on camera before, but never the news. Hopefully she is right and this dies today. Look, she's going through more than you all could fathom right now, and unfortunately Marauder is at the forefront of it. Without her she never would have considered this type of action. We can only hope we catch this Marauder soon. Very soon."

"Well, no Tigress is a help" Ivy shrugged.

"Yeah. Silver lining" Zack sighed happily.

"I hope you are right" Shadowsan nodded.

SEATTLE WASHINGTON 1919 HOURS

Twas later that same evening. Chief returned to her apartment, where there was nary a Carmen Sandiego to be had. She held under her arms, the blown up mugshot Chase had printed out of Tigress. She fed Commander and opened her laptop on her breakfast nook, where Commander promptly jumped up to get a closer vantage point, because curiosity.

Chief stroked her cat while dialing into A.C.M.E.'s Cloud, where the backlog of their security videos were uploaded. "Okay Commander, Mommy is going to hopefully put this matter to bed."

Chief looked over the footage from the previous evening, all corrupted as the hard drives were destroyed. Angered, Chief rubbed her temples and poured herself a glass of Chardonnay. "This is going to be a long night"

A curious Chief then went back to old logs, and she scratched her chin, glancing at Tigress's mugshot, she looked through the London operation from nearly two weeks ago, hoping her hunch was wrong. She took a stiff gulp of her wine and went to work.

EVERETT WASHINGTON 1934 HOURS

In this Commuter town some miles north of Seattle and the pride of Snohomish county sits this quiet and unassuming residential street. Two cars entered the driveway of 13478 Sycamore Terrace, it doesn't get more suburban American than this quaint two story, five bedroom, four and a half bathroom house.

Out of a Honda Odyssey came Anthony, and parking behind him in his pigeon-pooped BMW was Chase. The two walked towards the front door of Anthony's abode. "By the way, I always keep forgetting, what does Irene think we do again?" Chase asked. "Were selling something, right?"

"Oh yeah, so we are part of Electronics Solutions Consulting" Anthony explained. "What "we do" is we go to corporations, companies, start-ups—anything with an office and overhead, and, on behalf of Microsoft we sell their products to the companies" Chase explained. "Pretty slick, huh?"

Chase facepalmed. "Wouldn't it be more economically viable if Microsoft did this themselves and cut out a needless middle man?" Chase asked. See, sometimes he has these smart moments to undercut his arrogance and narcissism.

Anthony thought about for a moment. "Huh, yeah that does make sense, doesn't it?"

"And what happens if we have to relocate?" Chase asked. "You better hope our next HQ is in Silicon Valley and we can "sell Apple products" to companies that do not exist."

"Or Google! I'll make a note of that for Chief."

"Normally I'd slap you for taking the bait as per usual, but this is troubling, Agent Falco. If the suspect knows where A.C.M.E. is, we have to move" Chase sighed. "And I just stopped hating my next-door neighbor. We bonded over the other neighbor we don't like."

They made it to the porch where a door picture read: ALL ARE WELCOME HERE in calligraphy. Chase scoffed at it. Anthony opened up the door, and the two went inside, where Chase braced himself.

"Honey! I'm home! And I brought a friend!" Anthony called.

"Is it Chase?" A woman's voice called from the kitchen.

Chase groaned. "Yeah, hi Irene. It's me." Chase braced for more impact. "Now, where is—"

"Uncle Chase!"

Suddenly like cougars in the wilderness, Chase was bombarded by the hugs of three small children. Two jumped on his legs, Georgie five, and Stacey three and on his torso was Melissa six. Chase groaned and shook each child off of him.

"Ugh! Hello Georgie, hello Stacey, hello Melissa" for the moment, an annoyed Chase was free of children jumping on him. "Wait a minute, where's—"

And from the staircase, Chase was blindsided by Carrie, eight, knocking him over. "Hey, uncle Chase."

"And hello Carrie. Now get off of me! I am a grown man!" he yelled. Carrie chuckled and got off of him. Anthony helped him up.

You guys ever have that aunt or uncle you called an aunt or uncle as a kid but they had no relation to your family whatsoever and were just good friends of the family? Yeah, that's Chase. How he let Anthony bestow such an honor in such a fairly short period of them knowing one another is beyond me as we all know Chase is uniquely off-putting.

Anthony's good looking wife Irene entered from the kitchen. "Baby!" she gave Anthony a hug-n-kiss. Chase rolled his eyes. "Chase!" She ran up to give him a hug, but Chase was hugged out. "Ooh, do you prefer that European cheek kiss thing?" she asked

"Yuck. I don't do that. Reason number seven why I like America" Chase reported.

"That's glad to hear. It's always nice to have the Pacific Northwest's number one salesman in our house."

"Lucky me" Chase groaned.

"Here, let me take your coats" Irene took Chase's coat, we get a closeup as Irene moves them to the kitchen and into a mud room where the laundry is located, placing the coats on top of the washer. We get an insert of Chase's inner jacket pocket where his phone was slightly sticking out.

"Meet me in the man cave, I'll get some chips and guac!" Anthony cheered.

"Pool house!" Chase called, walking outside to the backyard.

SEATTLE WASHINGTON SAME TIME

Over to Chief. One and a half glasses of wine later, she was still petting Commander while looking at a particular London traffic cam with interest. Right before the file corrupted itself, Chief got a moderately good look at Tigress and her below average disguise.

"Enhance..." Chief stared at the now enlarge photo, the camera now in pause. She then held up the mugshot of Tigress and cross-referenced the two together. Chief couldn't believe her eyes, it was a match. "Gotcha" Chief smiled and then typed in a different photo, the file photo Chase had of Marauder at the Smithsonian, and cross-referenced it with Julia's A.C.M.E. file photo. "Argent was quite concerned about London, wasn't she? No. Get a grip, Tamara!" Chief thought out loud, downing the rest of her wine. "True, she seems...different, but would she really turn traitor...and to V.I.L.E. of all things?" Chief started to pace around her kitchen.

SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA 1954 HOURS

Carmen was busy looking over as many hacked files as Player could get his hands on. She had several camera feeds from The Smithsonian, and a couple from Vatican city, conveniently the only ones capturing Marauder were in the museum where she fought Carmen.

"You have got to give me something you harpy" Carmen hissed. "What do you have against me? Why torture me so much?" she complained, talking to the screen. She clenched her fists and a moment before smashing her laptop screen, she simply slammed the screen shut, slumping into her chair. "You will not beat me, Marauder. And you will NOT drive me insane. Not anymore" Carmen glanced briefly over to her desk drawer and shook her head.

This was not her, was it? Marauder and her inner demons painted her as this monster in it for herself at the cost of everyone around her, and Carmen wanted to do anything to prove them wrong. She reached into the drawer and grabbed the pistol.

She stashed it and walked out back to the jetty wall jutting up against the back of the lair. Carmen raised the gun in a wind-up and was about to throw it...but she stopped short. This was the right decision, right? Then why couldn't she just throw the gun away?

She looked out into the bay and Coronado peninsula, some ocean spray hit her in the face from the crashing waves. She brought the gun back down and looked at it. She sighed, and gripped it tight. "Once we apprehend Marauder, I'll be done with it" Carmen assured herself and stashed the gun in her pants behind her. She walked in through the back door. Carmen faked a smile as she smelled Ivy's home cooking. "That smells amazing, Ives."

"Carmen, come on, let's eat!" Zack called.

"Don't hog the soy sauce. I'm looking at you, Zack" Gypsy warned.

"What? I don't use that much."

"How you don't have hypertension is a medical anomaly" Vincent half-joked. "That's how much soy sauce you use."

Carmen continued her act and took her seat at the table, she was in a mental bind, but at least she blew off some steam, and had her friends surrounding her...for now.

SEATTLE WASHINGTON 2011 HOURS

Chief continued to pace about her kitchen. She too was in a bit of a bind. So much of her brain wanted her to believe Julia was Marauder, but how could she prove it? She would be a laughing stock in her own organization if she was wrong.

She leaned against her breakfast nook and sighed, about to pour herself a third glass of wine, when she looked out into her living room, eyeing up the chair Carmen sat in for their little meet-up. Chief stopped, putting the bottle on the nook.

"Marauder has a vendetta against Sandiego and Devineaux...But, who could...?"

Chief trailed as the musical score increased as she racked all the evidence in her brain. After a few moments of intense pondering, Chief's eyes went wide as she instantly connected a smirking Julia in the Marauder mask in her head. She nearly dropped her wine glass, practically falling on the floor.

"Unbelievable. It was right in front of my face the entire time!" Chief sneered. She smirked, and looked down at a confused Commander. "It's okay, precious. Mommy's gonna go bag traitor is all, yes. I'll be right back, I promise."

Chief checked her pistol and concealed it, quickly locking up. She got in her car and sped towards Julia's apartment. She got out her A.C.M.E. pen and tried to activate it, nothing. "Wonderful. This is what happens when you don't charge your pen, Tamara!" she complained to herself. She then tried her touchscreen, hands free Bluetooth. "Call Chase Devineaux, mobile" she commanded.

"Call, Chase Devineaux, mobile" the female robotic voiced repeated. Chief got a few rings. "Come on Devineaux...come on, pick up. Pick up."

After some fruitless rings later, Chief got Chase's voicemail. "You've reached Chase Devineaux. Leave a brief message. If this is about the love seat, it is already sold" BEEP

"Devineaux! I know you don't want to hear and I don't care but it's Argent, it can't be anyone else! Think about it, who else would have a vendetta against you and Carmen Sandiego? She is the only one in our organization who mutually knows you both well enough. I have more evidence too—I won't go into details but it's staggering. Look, I don't know if there's anyone else from A.C.M.E. she's involved in this scheme just get Zari and Falco and meet me at Argent's apartment. Be ready for a fight if need-be" she hung up. "I'm coming for you, Argent."

Chief continued to careen down the streets of Seattle.

EVERETT WASHINGTON SAME TIME

Chase's phone beeps inside his coat pocket, while Anthony passes the washing machine where it sat upon, his hands full of craft beer, chips and guac. "Thanks honey. Uh, were gonna—talk work stuff. Sales techniques, you know the rest."

"Have fun, hon."

Anthony walked outside, past his pool, littered with children's pool toys and over to his detached guest house on the other side of his pool, his glorified man-cave. He entered, where we see there was a small kitchenette, couch with a flat screen attached to the wall, a pool table, and several Dallas Cowboys flags and posters. Chase pondered while he sat on the couch and Anthony laid out the spread, sitting on a Barcalounger nearby.

"Oh hey, you got a phone call" Anthony explained.

"It is not important. So, you think Marauder is Agent Argent?"

"No it was a suggestion. We have a full-fledged agency, it could be anyone—and I'm not ruling out that she's outsourced and has an inside man feeding her evidence and information" Anthony explained.

"See, that seems plausible to me" Chase agreed, taking a gulp of the locally sourced craft IPA. "It is unfortunate how V.I.L.E. was able to turn one of our own against us. Why?"

"Well they didn't know we existed, it was probably only a matter of time until they caught up with us."

Chase groaned. "My key card."

"Say again, bud?"

"My old key card! When I was a trainee, Carmen Sandiego stole my keycard and probably gave it to those fiends at V.I.L.E. or it was stolen by her—I don't know. That's how they know we exist."

"Or-or, it could've been by Marauder or her inside man...or woman" Chase countered.

"Thanks" Chase sighed.

"The two goons from V.I.L.E. who kidnapped you, you think one them could've been—" Anthony trailed.

"No. One was a freakishly large woman in a tracksuit and green hair, the other was a grizzled Asian man with a katana and a face that could turn Clint Eastwood's to stone" Chase explained. "The only other known V.I.L.E. operatives I can remember facing were two other nitwits dressed as a mole and a goat, and the blonde. But it could not be Argent. We have known each other for so long, she could never turn against us. Sure she is smart, but she is far too nice. Marauder is cruel and violent. Julia loves art history and dull facts. She was to be my apprentice, my supervisor thought we would balance each other out. I don't know why she was always so concerned with proving Carmen Sandiego's innocence so much. "Always on the side of truth" meanwhile the Crimson Phantom remains at large and we now have this new contender."

"You're right, it's a problem" Anthony agreed.

"Ironically, the one thing I have in common with that fedora-ed menace is we seem to have at some point ran afoul with Marauder."

"Wouldn't it be funny if you two like, had to team up to take her down?" Anthony chuckled.

"When hell freezes over" Chase smirked, taking a sip and a chip. "And while we sit here, Marauder laughs at us, robbing us blind."

"We'll catch her. She'll slip up sooner or later."

SEATTLE WASHINGTON SAME TIME

Chief pulled up in front of Julia's apartment. She got out of her Audi and looked up at it, with a glare. Chase answered Anthony in a voice over.

"I wish I had your optimism Agent Falco. But if she could infiltrate our organization and seamlessly extract a well-guarded suspect from under our very noses, there's no telling what she can do..."

Chief made another call on her phone, this time to Agent Zari, again no luck. "The mailbox is full. Please try again" the phone voice said, insinuating Chief could not leave a voicemail.

"Dang it. Empty your inbox once in a while, Zari" Chief snarled. She turned to see a moving truck, and a couple trying to finagle a box inside the entry. Chief smiled, and helped them out, knowing she wouldn't have to ring Julia's apartment and truly catch her by surprise.

"Moving in, I see. Here, let me help you" Chief said, holding the door open.

"Oh, thank you so much" The woman said.

"We really appreciate it" the man added.

"Happy to help" Chief smiled, and let them walk past her. She entered too, letting the door close behind her. She turned to the mailboxes and saw ARGENT, JULIA. 513. "Bingo" she walked towards the elevators.

(I have been waiting to write this scene for like four chapters now, I hope you're as excited as I am)

Inside Julia's apartment, a romantic dinner was in progress. Julia pulled out all the stops, fresh tablecloth, bouquet of flowers in a vase, candles, and of course, some fancy dinner cooking in both oven and stovetop.

Clad in her mission gear with no mask was Tigress sitting at the table, her V.I.L.E. communicator tapped into Coach Brunt, while Julia stood by the stove, tending to dinner wearing something a bit less formal and lot more...sporty. She had on a tight v-neck t-shirt and shorts, as well as her rounded glasses.

Brunt was in much better spirits while a quietly amused Tigress watched as the lovestruck brut eagerly awaited for the capture and eventual arrival of Chase to V.I.L.E.

"You sure staying at Marauder's boudoir is absolutely necessary, Tigress?" Brunt asked.

"Of course. This Devineaux idiot has no idea what he's walking into but wouldn't it be easier to have two operatives handle this than one?"

"Well you got me there. Hey, ask Marauder which he'd like better" Brunt, as we see her hair in curlers held up two different tracksuits. "Would he like the gray tracksuit—you know, standard, unassuming; or would he like something more bold and eye-catching like my golden tracksuit?"

Tigress and Julia chuckled. "Coach, do you have a crush on our hostage?" Tigress coyly asked.

"No I do not! I just thought I should try to be more good cop, let the rest of the Faculty be bad cop" she explained, blush on her face.

"Come on, Coach" Tigress egged her on.

"Alright, fine. He's handsome" she grunted. "I'm gonna have Bellum reprogram him to be my beau."

"Yuck" Julia groaned, under her breath.

"Well?" Brunt asked.

"Devineaux is a textbook narcissist, and from experience, narcissists like status, gold is the ultimate status" Julia explained.

"Gold it is. Speaking of gold, we are anxiously licking our chops to hold the U.S. at our mercy to get this bullion back to them...at a premium of course" Brunt explained.

"Naturally" Tigress smirked.

"Look, it was a stupid stunt, but so far it worked out" Brunt added. "Just don't go doing anything so reckless in the future. Planning is everything. You never enter a room without an exit plan."

"But we did protect the face" Tigress defended.

"And they have nothing to go on, right?" Brunt asked.

"Just my mugshot, which is useless as my face is in no database from here to Tasmania."

"And A.C.M.E. has no idea where the headquarters is" Julia added from the kitchen.

"Well good. Give us a call when you nabbed Monsieur beefcake and we'll send the Cleaners, nice work you two" Brunt then ended the call.

"Gross" Julia rolled her eyes. Tigress emerged from the table, sauntering over to her.

"Aw come on. Even Coach Brunt deserves somebody to love."

"She can do better than Agent Devineaux."

"Trust me, she can't. Might mellow her out."

Tigress then wrapped her arms around Julia from behind, her height towered over the smaller English-Asian girl. The two blushed and Julia happily smiled as Tigress laid some more light kisses on her neck.

"And we have plenty of time before our sucker walks into your carefully laid trap" Tigress mused. "I wonder how we could spend that time?"

"He is known to be fashionably late as well" Julia swooned. "I should set this to simmer."

"You should, wouldn't want it to burn" Tigress slipped her fingers into Julia's shorts and slowly started to pull—BUT, the moment was then promptly ruined by the sound of—

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK.

"Aw, poo" Tigress pouted, pulling up her shorts a half of inch to where they were around her hips.

"If you ordered Postmates I'm going to kill you" Julia joked, heading over to the door. She looked through the peephole and gasped. "Eep!"

"Eep! Eep's not good. Is he early?"

"No, it's Chief!" Julia scream-whispered.

"Argent! Are you home?" she heard Chief yell through the door.

Julia panicked. "U-Um, it's not a good time!"

"I'll be quick!" chief called.

Julia jumped, Chief wasn't just going to leave. "What do we do?" Tigress whispered.

"Hide. I'll keep her busy, do not come out for any reason!" Julia ushered Tigress over to a closet near the living room.

"You sure?"

"I'll be fine. Don't worry" She gave her a fast kiss and closed the door, then promptly composed herself and went to the front door. She took a deep breath and opened it up. "Chief! What a—what a pleasant surprise. You uh, you didn't ring the doorbell, I would've been better dressed."

"I let myself in" Chief said dryly. "And it's your house, you make your own rules" she added, a but coyly. "May I come in?"

"Oh well, I-I-I am actually expecting company soon and I—"

"This won't take long, I promise" Chief insisted, forcing her way inside.

"Of course, Chief" Julia groaned, closing the door behind her.

Chief used her deductive reasoning skills well, admiring the romantic vibe of the apartment. "Company, huh?"

"Yes, if you must know, I have been seeing someone."

"Good for you, Agent Argent."

"Um, would you like some tea?" Julia asked.

"That would be lovely. This won't take long, you can put it in a to-go cup."

"Of course."

Julia stumbled, grabbing her teapot and filling it with water. Her back was turned. Chief noticed the communicator which Julia and Tigress left on the table in haste. Rookie mistake. Chief noticed the strange device and briefly studied it. She turned it around, revealing the V.I.L.E. logo. Chief gasped, but now all her suspicions were solidified.

"You were pretty shaken up, being kidnapped and all."

"I was but that is in the past, all I care about is apprehending Marauder" Julia said.

Chief let out a soft scoff. She put the communicator in her breast pocket in her blazer. Julia didn't notice and put the teapot on the stove. She turned around to see Chief happily smirking.

"That smells really good, what is it?" Chief asked.

"Chilean sea bass, a microgreen salad, and some fondant potatoes in the oven" Julia explained.

"Interesting. You know, I'm impressed with your turnaround since returning to A.C.M.E., this "vacation" seemed to have worked wonders on you."

"All I needed was some time alone" Julia explained. "I suppose all the stress of catching Carmen Sandiego was getting to me."

Chief half smirked. "Ah yes, Carmen. The very person you were convinced was a good guy, and suddenly your resolve changed. That's good, but so abrupt. Almost as if you have a vendetta against her."

"I merely realized you were right. She was using me, and I apologize for being so taken in by her charm and her moxie."

"Fret not. I believed her too. It's only human. But it's so tragic the run-ins you've had with V.I.L.E.'s newest rogue, if only we could have gotten reinforcements to you sooner. That's not the A.C.M.E. way, leaving our own in the dust like that. You've been really given the short end of the stick lately and you had such promise. I feel so terrible for not giving you the credit you deserve."

"Oh, well thank you Chief. I appreciate it, and I hope there's something extra I can do to help A.C.M.E. take down this new threat. I'll do anything."

"Sure you would" Chief nodded. "It's just funny to me. You've had more face-to-face encounters with Marauder than any other operative."

Julia gulped but assumed she could con her way out of this. "Which means I am uniquely poised to take her out. She thinks I'm this weak little girl. She has another thing coming."

"Does she?" Chief asked.

"She does."

"You're good, Argent. Really good. I'm actually quite impressed" Chief mused, Julia didn't know what she actually was insinuating. "But I'm growing tired of these monkeyshines."

"I agree. Talk is cheap. I can forward you my plans I have to take her—"

"Cut the crap, Julia!" Chief boomed.

"What?"

"When did they flip you?"

Julia froze. "I-I don't have the slightest idea what you're—"

"Should I even call you Julia Argent...or would you prefer Marauder? Considering you're both the same person."

Julia wanted to have a panic attack but she quickly composed herself, running on pure mental adrenaline. "Chief—you really think I'm—"

"I don't think, Argent. I'm not paid to think, I'm paid to know, and I know you're Marauder."

"T-Th-this-this is nonsense. Utter nonsense."

"You wanna know how I know? I'll say this, it was your own fault. But there were two key times you slipped up. The first was when it was clear you—or rather Marauder let it be known to Carmen Sandiego and Agent Devineaux how you relished in seeing them defeated, specifically those two, which is how Devineaux put it in my head she would have to be someone who knows both of them, and only you could know the two of them so well considering they can't stand one another who could also have a vendetta against them...the one person used by her and mentally abused by him...you."

"B-but, but Chief—"

"I'm not done" Chief continued. "Then the big one, the one where YOU stole a tape from A.C.M.E.'s files and Marauder played said tape for Carmen Sandiego—a tape where the only known copy would be in the filing cabinets and only an agent of A.C.M.E. would have access to it. You thought you were slick too, a blind spot in the room prevented me from seeing you in the act but you definitely took something from the room, and I'm too much of a cynic to believe it was something else. Unfortunately for you, Carmen wasn't too thrilled by the contents of the tape and decided to privately confront me in my own apartment about its contents where I deduced Marauder had to have gotten it from the filing cabinets. Not only did it appear as though you took something, but you offered to work in the filing room. And to put the icing on the cake, you are seen with a suspected V.I.L.E. operative supposedly kidnapped by her and Marauder and conveniently Marauder is nowhere to be found...and just as suddenly, that suspect escapes custody and no one has any recollection of you assisting them at any point during the security breach. Plus, I wonder how we were able to have been so easily duped in our own secret headquarters? And this suspect happens to match a description of the strange ice cream vendor you were so invested in keeping from us; so relieved when the traffic cameras we hacked cut out during your little meeting. Why be so invested about this suspect if you were afraid she'd give you up."

Julia started to sweat, she gulped, not willing to accept defeat. "Chief. T-this is-this is pure speculation."

"Fine, profess your innocence all you want but you and I know the truth, and regardless, this is easily enough probable cause to arrest you" Chief got out a pair of cuffs.

"I-I don't have to—I don't—"

"This is not up for debate, Argent. I am placing you under arrest and you are coming with me. Now we can do this the easy way, or the hard way. And I assure you the hard way will be very painful."

"Ch—"

"Don't lie to me, Argent! You're wasting your breath. Now put your hands behind your back" Chief ordered, dangling the cuffs in front of Julia.

So, the jig was up. No matter what Julia seemed like she couldn't convince Chief otherwise. She couldn't believe this. Everything seemed like it was working far too well anyhow, the heist, and the seemingly easy getaway, it had to have been snafued somewhere.

What Julia really couldn't believe how she let her pride get the better of her. Had she not made it so personal she would have been free and in the clear. But fate had other plans for the raven haired double agent.

Tears started to form in Julia's eyes as she gripped the sides of her counter. She wasn't going to go with Chief. She couldn't. Never mind what V.I.L.E. would do to her if she were caught she of course had to come to terms with being convicted.

She broke down. Sad that it all seemed over...or was it? From over in the closet, Tigress heard everything, and slowly opened the door. She tiptoed into the living room noticing Julia's hung up blazer where her shoulder holster was also on the hook where her stun gun was kept...

Back in the kitchen Julia put on an evil smirk and looked up at Chief. She may have been discovered true, but she wasn't going to give up without a fight. Her Marauder persona had entered her mind...or was it always there?

"Well done, Chief. All those years with Intelligence paid off."

"Why did you do it, Julia? Why turn against us?"

"Oh you know, a change of scene, a change of style...with no regrets" she snickered.

"I'm calling BS. Someone so concerned with preserving history suddenly turning to the very people who wish to steal it for themselves? What aren't you telling me?" Chief asked.

"You know, it's ironic really. On the tape you were so concerned with a petty victory over the late Dexter Wolfe—whom you later killed. All because he was promoted over you? Where have I seen this before? Ah yes. It happened to me!" Julia hissed. "Chase Devineaux is a bumbling, arrogant fool, and yet he is the one who is improving over me? And in my absence you promote him!? And I tried to convince you Carmen Sandiego was on the side of good and for my trouble I get reprimanded and relegated to being Devineaux's partner once you reinstate him out of the blue. Why? To punish me? Do you know what it's like working for such a self-serving imbecile—oh wait, you do. Because it happened to you! And never mind Carmen and her pursuits. I was some go-between for her, and nothing more. So who else do I turn to? When you have nothing left, suddenly the enemy doesn't truly sound like the enemy anymore" Julia finished.

"So, the truth finally comes out?" Chief shook her head. "You know, if you could see Devineaux in a new light maybe you'd realize he's made mistakes and perhaps he wishes to move past them. You wouldn't know that because you were too busy selling us out. It's no matter, though. A lot of good your unbridled rage and historical knowledge will do you in prison."

"That is quite remarkable that you think I'm just going to go with you" Julia smirked.

"Oh, I could always hope but I'd be insulted if you didn't resist" Chief then moved one side of her blazer out of the way, revealing her gun in a shoulder holster. She let the blazer back into place. "Bear in mind, it won't fire knockout spray, and I won't miss."

"Hmm-hmm-hmm" Julia snickered. "But who is going to save you?"

"I won't be the one who needs saving."

"You sure about that?"

Chief stopped and turned around to see who that unfamiliar voice belonged to. Tigress had sneaked up behind her, smug grin on her face, pointing Julia's stun gun directly at her. Chief narrowed her eyes but was otherwise undaunted.

"Surprise" Tigress gleefully mused.

"Your date, I presume?" Chief asked Julia.

"Something like that" Julia nodded.

"You take a good mugshot" Chief said to Tigress.

"So I'm told."

"Now to the matter at hand, do you two think I'm not going to arrest you both by force?" Chief asked.

Tigress scoffed. "You? We're two highly trained thieves in our twenties. You're like a million years old."

"And with age comes experience, kid" Chief mocked her.

"We'll see about that" Gun still trained on Chief, Tigress moved to the front door, locking it.

"Huge mistake. Now you're both locked in here with me. Which'll be fitting for when I take you both down and drag you to jail."

"But I think you have this backwards, Chief. You will be coming with us" Julia smirked.

"Is that so?" Chief facetiously asked.

There was some cripplingly awkward silence that followed. Chief's heart pounded, thinking of any potential strategy she could find to get herself out of this sudden jam. She figured she could defeat Julia and Tigress, but in her gut she wasn't so sure.

But the girls were also in a bind. They now had to subdue Chief who was poised to leak Julia's secret...if she hadn't done so already. But they weren't thinking about that at the moment, they had something much more pressing in front of them.

Suddenly, the familiar hiss of a tea kettle alarmed everyone but nevertheless they regained their focus on one another. Chief took that moment upon herself to act. She did a sudden kick, knocking the gun from Tigress's hands.

Chief then lunged at Julia who dodged several combinations as Chief got her in a shoulder lock and shoved her into the refrigerator nearby. Julia tried to drop kick Chief but this failed and Chief kicked her in the face.

Tigress recovered and made a backflip to try and backflip kick Chief but ended up missing, kicking Chief in the shoulder. Chief then grabbed Tigress and threw her into Julia, but the two were able to recover as Chief tried to grab her handcuffs.

"Not bad for an old lady, huh?" chief mocked them.

"We'll see about that!"

Tigress made a few jabs at Chief, one landing, but Chief grabbed Tigress's arm mid punch and elbow chopped her arm before neck chopping her with her free hand. Julia lunged making a spin kick on Chief's face. She shook it off and socked Julia right in the face.

Tigress got back to her feet, slashing at Chief with her gloves, she got a few on Chief's face, leaving three bloody slash marks down her mug. Chief Tackled Tigress and she grabbed a nearby butcher's knife from a cutting board on the counter. She slashed it at Chief, who quickly disarmed her and knocked her down while Julia jumped on Chief and tried to tear her down to the floor.

Chief shrugged and threw her weight back, falling to the floor with Julia hitting hard and Chief flipping off of her. Chief had a moment to dust herself off as Julia and Tigress slowly got up. Each was short of breath, Chief more so than the other two.

"You...two had en...had enough, yet?" she panted.

"Looks like you have" Tigress smirked.

She lunged, slashing her claws. Chief grabbed some magnets from the fridge and shucked them at Tigress, then spin kicking her back into the wall. Julia lunged, getting a kick to Chief's gut, but Chief grabbed her by the leg and threw her over into her kitchen table, breaking it, but Julia was able to get up and fight. Julia looked over at the discarded stun gun and crawled towards it.

Chief sprinted to Tigress, pinning her to the wall as Tigress fumbled around the counter, she found a can of Raid, spraying it in Chief's eyes.

"Gaaaaaah!" Chief flailed her arms, socking Tigress in the face. She fumbled around, and grabbed a nearby toaster, smacking Tigress in the face with it. Chief's vision stung and was blurry, she turned to see Julia aiming the stun gun, but Chief, grabbed the cutting board on the counter, chucking it at Julia's wrist, knocking the gun out of her hands.

Tigress grabbed the skillet cooking the fish on the stove, swinging it at Chief, she got a hit to her wrists, but Chief disarmed Tigress, then reached for her pistol. Tigress aimed her wrist down, but Chief headbutted her.

Julia saw Chief take aim. "NO!" She lunged and checked Chief into the counter before she could fire at the fallen Tigress, knocking the Walther from her hands. Chief backhanded Julia to the floor. Both girls were near to being knocked out. Chief's eyes were red and tearing. She rubbed them constantly, making the pain worse.

"Pathetic" she spat. She took out her handcuffs, cuffing Julia and Tigress's wrists together.

Feeling woozy, Chief blindly ran her hands along the walls trying to find the bathroom, stumbling and falling over literally everything she could find. After a while, Chief fell into the bathroom.

Outside, Julia arose, and noticed she was cuffed to Tigress. Julia heard Chief's grunts, she was still in the apartment. She glanced down and saw Chief's pistol, and not far, the stun gun. Julia glared and tried to help up a barely conscious Tigress, holding her by the shoulder.

Inside the bathroom, Chief arose and coughed violently. She tore open Julia's medicine cabinet and found the jackpot, some Visine. She squirted the solution into both her eyes, which helped moderately. Feeling nauseous, Chief fell on her knees and tore open Julia's toilet lid, promptly vomiting in it. Chief picked her head out of the bowl. "Real nice, Tamara" Chief then reached for her phone, she could still barely see.

"Call Chase Devineaux!" she directed Siri.

"Calling, Chase Devineaux."

But, as she was getting up, the ajar door was thrown open. Chief locked eyes with a wounded and determined Julia while Tigress was cuffed next to her, Julia still holding her up. Julia's eyes started to well up.

"Argent" Chief huffed.

Julia shook, she raised her right arm, revealing Chief's pistol in her hands. Though Chief could barely see, she knew what she had. She raised her hands, cell phone still dialing Chase and she started to breathe deeply. Julia's eyes were like waterfalls.

"J-Julia...wait."

Julia's grip was increasingly shaky, she said nothing but continued so sob. Chief was afraid this would be the end. "Y-you don't have to do this. I know you don't want to. Let's talk. Please."

"Y-you're right. I can't" Julia said between her tears. She lowered the pistol. But then a smirk crept up on her face, as well as Tigress's.

The blonde moved her left hand from behind her revealing she had Julia's stun gun, she quickly pulled the trigger, hitting Chief with a blue haze. The older woman coughed before falling on her back, knocked out. The two approached Chief as her phone hit the floor.

"You've reached Chase Devineaux. Leave a brief message. If this is about the love seat, it is already sold" BEEP.

Julia and Tigress grabbed the phone and ended the call. On a hunch, Julia checked to see she had called him before she came up to the apartment. "She called him before she showed up but it looks like he he didn't pick up the phone. And I'll bet she let him in on the reason she came here" Julia said worried.

"So like, what do we do?" Tigress asked.

Julia reached into Chief's pants pockets and grabbed the handcuff key, unlocking the two of them. "I have to make sure Devineaux doesn't receive that voicemail."

Tigress smirked. "not a bad plan. I'll keep Chief-y here company. But what do we do about the plan?"

"Hmm...it might break Coach Brunt's heart, but who better to have at our disposal than the Chief of A.C.M.E. instead of a mere stooge?" Julia smirked. "Devineaux is always sharing his location with me. He did it accidentally once" she explained. Julia looked through texts and found Chase's location. "Agent Falco's house. Perfect. It's over in Everett, it'll take me some time to get there."

"But what happens if he hears it in the meantime?" Tigress asked.

"Make her call him back, he won't just show up. She can placate him with the proper persuasion" Julia said glancing to the pistol. "But we can't risk it in the meantime. She may be out for ten minutes or two hours. Hopefully I'll make it in time" Julia breathed, reaching down for the stun gun.

"Hey" Tigress stopped Julia, pulling her in for a kiss. "You saved me."

"I'd do anything for you, my tiger."

The kissed again and Julia reached in Chief's other pocket, grabbing her car keys. She dashed out, quickly grabbing her shoes and anything she would need and headed downstairs. Oh Dear by Secret Eyes starts to play in the background.

She smirked, seeing Chief's parked car and hopped in. Julia sped down her street and headed north, with only one thought on her mind. As she drives we fade to an image of Chase and Anthony, unwinding and waxing nostalgic of old times, fading to another image of Carmen laying on her bed, longingly looking at the ceiling, too afraid to fall asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading everyone! I know this chapter was hella long, my longest single chapter to date, in fact, but you made it! Woo-hoo! Kudos and comments always appreciated, as are suggestions! And shout out to Robin Green, and Mitch Burgess on the inspiration for the epic fight scene.


	11. Grunge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the thrilling chapter this week, Carmen turns to dirty tricks to figure out Marauder's identity while on a mission, while Chief is able to escape Tigress's clutches, but for how long? While Julia desperately attempts to delete the incriminating voicemail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, lot of violence in this chapter, this is your warning. Enjoy!

SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA 2107 HOURS

Carmen laid in bed, staring up at the ceiling where we last left her in the previous chapter. She held up Matty's pistol. She liked toying with this weapon which made her much more nervous about herself. She slid the action back, ejecting the chambered round and then slid it forward. She continued this trend until the gun was empty. She plopped the gun inside the drawer of her nightstand as she became increasingly sleepy, something she was trying to hard to avoid, despite the fact it would be inevitable. But, she was stubborn and scared, a perfect recipe for some late night adventure in her life.

She would get her wish. Her television monitor turned on, revealing Player on screen. "Sup, Red."

"Isn't it past your bedtime?" Carmen joked.

"Are you my mother, or my super thief?" Player coyly asked.

"Sometimes I wonder" Carmen quipped. "What's up? Finally here for a social call?"

"I wish, but it's V.I.L.E. activity. Something's going down in lovely old Paris, they had a couple of paintings stolen form the Louvre, probably the most famous art museum in the world" Player explained.

"And apparently famous for the world's worst security" Carmen crossed her arms.

"If they're hiring" Player joked. "Anyway, according to the manifest they took a couple Rembrandts but the big prize is The Mona Lisa. It's probably the most famous painting in the world. Created by Leonardo Di Vinci the original jack-of-all-trades, features Italian noblewoman Lisa del Giocondo who just so happened to be Di Vinci's wife, it's over five hundred years old and has been stolen numerous times."

"And tonight's not gonna be one of those times. Get a plane and uh..." Carmen trialed, glancing to her nightstand. "Private airstrip. Poway."

"Done and done" Player said, clicking at his keys.

Carmen quickly threw on her red attire and sprinted to Shadowsan's dojo, where he was fast asleep. Carmen shrugged, and headed downstairs. Vincent and Gypsy had fallen asleep on two chairs while Zack and Ivy were sawing logs on the couch, Zack sprawled uncomfortably across his sister.

"Wow, everyone's asleep" Carmen said quietly. She went back up to her room.

"Boom! Four tickets to Paris. Fastest plane I could find. You're welcome" Player smiled.

"Cancel three of those tickets. The twins and Shadowsan are passed out."

"Wait, you're really gonna go alone...again?"

"No, I've got you" Carmen smiled.

"Red, you need ground support."

"For who?"

"Gee, I dunno, how about Marauder?" Player asked.

Carmen was about to scoff at his remark, but he was right. Carmen had been bested two times too many by this masked gunsel and it was beginning to cost her, her sanity...among other things.

But then again, Carmen was learning from each time she fought her new foe and was more determined than ever. Really determined. She turned over to her nightstand, then back to Player.

"I'll be fine."

"Carmen, all you have to do is wake them."

"Allow me to retort: I'll be fine."

"Wake...them!" Player enunciated.

"Let them sleep, they need it."

"So do you" Player deadpanned.

Carmen grunted. She took her remote and turned off the monitor.

Player was undaunted of course. Downstairs, The Canadian hacker took over the monitor, he rolled his eyes seeing the sleeping Bostonians. "Zack! Ivy! Get up!" This did nothing. "Hey you two! Wake up! Red needs you!"

Zack scratched himself, half awake. "Change the channel, Ivy" he groggily slurred, before turning back to sleep.

Player facepalmed. He had one more trick up his pre-teen sleeve. "V.I.L.E.'s about to steal the last Paul Newman formula one racecar."

That did it. The twins shot up from the couch like the world was about to blow up. "WHAT!?"

"How dare they!?"

"Oh did that get your attention? Good, cause Red needs you both. Mission time!" Player scolded them.

"Wait, but are they stealing Paul Newman's racer?" Zack asked.

"No, but there is V.I.L.E. activity. So coffee-up you two. Move it!" Player ordered before ending the transmission.

The twins sighed and shrugged, passing Gypsy and Vincent who were still blissfully asleep. Upstairs, Carmen was ready to go, she had found all seven bullets and reloaded them into the magazine. Just as it was reloaded, She saw Zack and Ivy groggily enter her room.

"Carm?" Zack asked.

Carmen turned towards them, surreptitiously dropping the gun into a pocket inside her coat, they didn't seem to notice. "You're up?"

"Player woke us" Ivy yawned. "But don't sweat, were ready for the mission."

Carmen smiled. As much as she wanted to have her vendetta on her own, conventional wisdom said this would have been better with her compatriots anyhow. Besides, she was gonna invite them along anyway had they not been asleep.

"Player's really not gonna let me go on my own, is he?" she asked.

"That would be a no" Ivy shrugged.

"Then let's roll" Carmen smirked.

KING COUNTY WASHINGTON 2134 HOURS

Julia sped up the 5 Freeway towards Everett zipping through the rolling Evergreens of...well, the Evergreen State. Nirvana's version of Lake of Fire played on the radio. Julia had little time to enjoy Chief's luxury crossover as she was a woman on a mission.

She nervously tapped her fingers on the steering wheel as she continued apace, sweating and desperately hoping Chase hadn't answered his phone which would surely add to the conundrum she was facing.

On one hand, she could easily deliver Chase and Chief to V.I.L.E., but two A.C.M.E. agents missing in action would arouse far too much suspicion. The added wrinkle was Anthony, a known family man who would surely be missed unlike Chase and Chief who were respectively perpetually single and divorced. She wouldn't be able to subdue him and Anthony on her own and figured it would be better to stick with capturing Chief who was all but done for.

Unfortunately, while Julia went over these situations in her head she looked in her rearview mirror and saw the blue and red flashes of police lights followed by a siren. Julia gulped, realizing she was frantically speeding.

"Oh no. Oh no!" Julia gulped.

She knew she couldn't evade the policeman. Julia breathed deeply and pulled off to the side of the freeway where the police car pulled up several car lengths behind her. Julia looked over to the seat where the stun gun was sitting, and frantically threw it to the floor as she saw the police officer step out of his car.

Julia kept the gun out of view as best she could and reached in the glove compartment, fumbling around for Chief's registration. Julia had grown accustomed to conning her way out of situations, but there was no telling how this one would go. She also adjusted her shorts where she had a collapsed Crackle Rod tucked inside just in case she needed added firepower.

The cop, a Washington State Trooper, An African-American in the best shape of his life tapped on the window. Julia gulped one last time and lowered the window.

"Mind turning off the engine for me?" he asked with a light southern drawl. Julia turned the engine off.

"Thank you. Evening ma'am, just wanted to let you know this interaction is being recorded on both audio and video for your protection and my own. I am Washington State Trooper Antwan McWhorter and I pulled you over this evening for doing 87 miles per hour in a 65 miles per hour zone, I'm gonna need to see your license, registration, and proof of insurance."

"Um, yes, of course" Julia huffed nervously handing Antwan the documents. He started to sift through them. But as he did he peered in, getting a better look at Julia, noting her battle scars from the battle royale.

"Are you alright, ma'am?"

"Um, yes. Yes I am."

"Cause you look like you've been in a struggle."

"No-no, I was in a rush, I fell down the stairs in my building, and I hit my face on the railing. These glasses are my spares" Julia explained.

Antwan wasn't convinced. "With all due respect, I've been at this a long time, and I know the difference between falling down some steps and being in a fight."

"I am fine. I promise you. I do not require medical attention."

"Normally I am supposed to admit those with obvious wounds to a hospital."

"I assure you officer, I am fine" Julia promised him.

"If you say so" he then continued to look through the documents. "Hmm, English driver's license, well now I have seen everything. I guess y'all used to kilometers per hour" he joked. "I don't suppose you have a Passport, Work Visa or permanent residency card?"

"Yes, my Visa" Julia reached into her pocket and gently handed it to him.

"Okay...Julia Argent, I see your name on the Visa, insurance, and license but this car is registered to a Tamara Fraser."

"Yes-yes, this is my friend's car, she is lending it to me while mine is being repaired" Julia lied. "Tammy and I are great friends."

"Okay, we'll sit tight, I'm gonna go run these and don't take it personally if I don't believe your story but I'm not paid to just believe stories I'm paid to stop crime so I'll be checking criminal databases as well. Since you are not a United States citizen this will be a bit longer than usual to look into international databases' so just be patient, alright?"

"Yes, officer, of course" Julia nodded while Antwan walked back to his patrol car.

SEATTLE WASHINGTON 2139 HOURS

Chief was slowly coming to. Woozily, her eyes were adjusting to the light. She could tell she was moved from where she was knocked out, and was clearly sitting. The Visine helped, and her vision was blurry and stung, but was not nearly as bad as before, despite her eyes being a bit bloodshot.

As her eyes adjusted she realized her wrists were tied up behind her. She then noticed she was in excruciating pain as the adrenaline from the fight had worn off and all her bruises and bleeding were catching up with her.

As she shook her head she realized she was in the kitchen, where the epicenter of the epic fight took place. I hope Julia wasn't relying on her deposit. As Chief's vision opened up her first view was of Tigress, sitting on a chair across from Chief, triumphantly holding her Walther in her gloved hands.

"Oh good, you're awake" she smirked.

Chief tried to wriggle her wrists free, assuming they were her cuffs, but this felt like rope. Regardless, it was no use. She sighed and turned her head to the blonde. "Where's Argent?"

"Taking care of some unfinished business. Don't worry, she'll be back, at which point the three of us are going on a nice long trip" Tigress cryptically explained. Chief had a few ideas as to where their destination would take them, and none of them pleasant. "I wouldn't bother screaming for help, that wouldn't exactly be practical" Tigress explained, casually aiming Chief's pistol at her.

"It's funny, this is the closest I've gotten to a V.I.L.E. operative in years. Pity it had to be someone so brash and over-confident...or does that come with the territory?"

Tigress smirked. "Keep up the tough chick routine all you want, it won't do you much good."

"Well I don't have another "routine" so you'll have to settle, I suppose" Chief scoffed. "So, I'm guessing Julia filled you in on who I am. But I feel so reminisced, I don't know whom to call you?"

"Tigress."

Chief rolled her eyes. "Come on, kid. This codename malarkey is all fun and games, but we're two adult women who nearly killed one another. What's your real name?"

"Sheena."

"Tigress it is, then" Chief half smirked. "So, why V.I.L.E.?"

"As far back as I can remember, I never wanted to be a sucker."

"Thanks, Henry Hill. Care to elaborate?" Chief asked.

"Who wants to spend all their time sitting in school to maybe get a degree and then maybe after that get a job that resembles what you went to school for in the first place, never mind your dreams. I realized it's so much more fun to just take what you want instead of waiting in line like the rest of the sheep. I like winning, I like things, and I'm impatient. Besides, the rush is just so much fun."

"Okay White Privilege, why don't I use my years of intelligence profiling to actually deduce your career choices: based on your looks and voice, you're from the San Fernando Valley, right? And I'm guessing you lived in the hills instead of the actual sweaty valley part. Your parents are divorced and you never got their attention, so you spend your childhood lashing out to get mommy and daddy to notice you while they fight over custody...or which one is stuck with the custody. This transitions into theft which transitions into grand theft which most likely through some...undesirable connections brought you to V.I.L.E. where you take out all your hostilities on the people you steal from. Then your parents will have to notice you, won't they? Except they won't and you'll just slip deeper and deeper into a life of unfulfilled mis—" Annoyed by Chief's profile of her Tigress got off her chair and smacked Chief in the face. "...Struck a nerve, I see?"

Tigress pointed the gun to Chief's head. "You'd better watch your mouth...Tamara Fraser, because you may think we need you, but there's always a backup plan waiting in the wings, so don't cross me" she sneered.

Chief scoffed, and then undaunted, looked over at her. "You ever kill anyone before, Tigress?"

The question seemed out of left field and it threw the blonde for a loop. Tigress was about to answer but paused, Chief already knew the truth. "I thought not. Well I have, and let me tell you, unless you're an unbridled sociopath—which given your obvious relationship with Julia seems unlikely; every kill stays with you. Their souls will walk with you, haunting you. I don't care if its Hitler or some poor joe caught by a stray bullet, they'll be with you. When you wake up, when you shower, when you go on dates, when you're with your family—oh yes, you'll see them everywhere. And you don't have to believe in ghosts for them to haunt you" Chief finished.

"You sound so broken up for someone who was clearly going to kill me."

"Just another soul in my path of blood. But the first one is always the hardest. That's the one you see when you make love and your husband can see it in your eyes and then no one can ever be satisfied...then he leaves you."

Tigress sneered, her aim shaky, the gun writhed in her unsteady hands. She snarled and then sat back down, but Chief had a hunch she would. "You're just lucky it's more convenient for us to keep you alive."

"Mmm-hmm, that's what I thought."

But while Chief seemed to be in defeat, from behind her she is seen reaching a finger between the band of her watch, clearly trying to reach for something...

THE FRIENDLY SKIES 0031 HOURS

In a fast moving jet somewhere over the world, Carmen and the twins sat in the plane's fuselage, the former two finally explaining to Carmen their shenanigans at Fort Knox the previous evening.

"Wait, all the gold?" Carmen asked.

"Every last brick" Zack nodded.

"They used some freaky shrink ray thing, swept it all into bags, can you believe that?" Ivy bemoaned. "Half the gold in the U.S. of A loaded into burlap sacks costing two-fifty each."

"Gotta hand it to Dr. Bellum, she's got the attention span of a toddler but she is a savant with technology" Carmen sighed. "But A.C.M.E. got the gold, right?" she asked, none of them knowing the obvious truth.

"Oh yeah" Ivy nodded.

"And got themselves a special prize of whom we won't be seeing much of anymore...well, not as her usual self" Zack explained. "They got Tigress."

"They did?" Carmen perked up.

"We saw Devineaux walking her away in cuffs ourselves" Ivy smiled.

"Chase-falls-on-the-hood-of-his-car-Devineaux apprehended one of V.I.L.E.'s most notorious young operatives?" Carmen asked in disbelief.

"He had help" Zack shrugged.

"What about Marauder?" Carmen asked.

"Gone—the two were able to sneak in because I think they kidnapped Julia Argent" Ivy added. "Saw Tigress having her neck at claw-point."

Carmen snarled and clenched her fist. "Figures, there's no level they won't stoop to."

"But, knowing what V.I.L.E. did to Graham, it's probably a synch they'll give Tigress's evil brain a lobotomy."

"Don't be so sure, Ives. That was Interpol, A.C.M.E. is a completely different animal, they probably got Tigress breaking rocks in Guantanamo Bay as we speak. V.I.L.E. won't be able to get to her and regardless we'll never see her again. But like I said before, our energy needs to be focused on capturing Marauder. No doubt she might be in on this plan, we need to be on our toes." Carmen urged them.

"She is not messing around, that much I know for sure" Zack gulped.

"And if they think were still are friendly with A.C.M.E. they'll use us as a reprisal for Tigress's arrest, so whatever you do, do not let your guards down for one hot second. Got it?"

"You bet, Carm!"

"Right behind you, boss!"

"Good. Besides, I got...some added security" She winked. She got up and walked next to the twins, sitting between them. "You two know how much you mean to me, right?"

"Of course."

"No doubt."

"Good. Sleep's been...difficult for me lately. Screw it, everything's been difficult lately, and I'm afraid I'm turning into someone I don't want to be. And be honest with me, it won't affect our relationship...am I too overzealous?"

"How?" Ivy asked.

"With our missions. Do I ever switch off? I feel like all I think about is the next caper, the next thing to stop V.I.L.E. from stealing, and I think it's starting to affect my relationships with everyone around me."

"Carmen, you were brainwashed your entire childhood by thinking being a thief was an acceptable way of life" Ivy explained, putting an arm around her.

"Yeah, it's like being raised in North Korea or something" Zack shrugged.

"That's not the point, I know my childhood was messed up at best, but what I want to know is: am I overzealous?"

The twins looked at each other, then back to Carmen. "You can be."

"Sometimes, yeah."

Carmen sighed. "Thanks for the honesty" she got up and sat back down across from them. "How can I fix this? You guys know how to balance work and fun—at least better than I do. Zack you're working on our theme song."

"Ooh, I forgot about the theme song" Zack perked up.

"So did I" Ivy rolled her eyes.

"And Ivy, you're good fixing things. All I know how to do is wait for the next assignment, I couldn't even sit still watching The Sopranos."

"Well, you're good at working" Zack said.

"I want to be good at both. But more than anything we have to do something about Marauder."

"That's probably what's eating you" Ivy suggested. "How can you enjoy any aspect of life knowing V.I.L.E. has this insane and crazy ace-in-the-hole?"

"Once we bag that ace then maybe you're right, maybe everything falls into place. Hopefully this ends now" Carmen said with a serious face.

SEATTLE WASHINGTON 2150 HOURS

Chief and Tigress sat in more silence for a while. Tigress looked around at the mess they had made because of their fight. "You ruined our dinner. I was really looking forward to that Chilean Sea Bass."

"Is that the cat in you?" Chief coyly asked. "I'm sure you enjoy all sorts of fishy tastes."

"Hmm, you know you're not in a good position to make jokes" Tigress sneered.

"Call it small-talk. So, was it your charm that flipped my agent against me?"

"I played a role in it" Tigress smiled.

"I didn't know she was into women. Might explain her old obsession with Sandiego."

"Why settle for hamburger when you can have filet mignon" Tigress mused.

"You two don't look like you go together. I always thought Argent would end up with some Stanford educated historian not some..." Chief trailed

"Some what?" Tigress asked "Have you ever stopped and thought what you and Carmen did to her? You see, she's been through some stuff in her life, always given high expectations and never shown any gratitude. Always expected to be the best—get the best job, go to the best school get the best grades—and for what? To just be someone's doormat? I'm the bad girl she always needed, someone who can appreciate her and show her what she was missing out of life."

"So it's not just getting passed over for promotion, is that it? She had her mid-life crisis twenty years early?"

"It's a lot of things. But you, and Carmen, and that Devineaux doofus wouldn't know any of that. All Julia was to you was a pawn. At V.I.L.E., she's a queen. I bet you look at me and think: God, this chick only cares about herself, right?"

"Well, when you're right, you're right." Chief shrugged.

"I was, but with her...making me feel so vulnerable—I hated it at first, it was so hard, I didn't want to let my guard down, but she makes it so easy. And it makes me all the more sick the way you people treated her. You think we play dirty? What about you guys?"

"Well, I'm so very glad she's found love. Pity it had to be with the enemy" Chief snarled.

Tigress scoffed.

KING COUNTY WASHINGTON SAME TIME

Julia nervously tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. Every second wasted meant more time Chase had to look over his phone. Antwan eventually walked back over to the car. He handed Julia the documents through the window.

"Alright Ms. Argent, sorry for the delay, uh look call it my policeman's intuition but you wouldn't happen to have your friend's number, would you?"

"Um, yes. But...b-but, she leant it to me."

"I'm sure she did, but I don't want to get a call in two hours saying this car was stolen and I didn't at least check it out first, I'd really appreciate it, if we could give her a call."

"But—"

"It's not a request" Antwan said stringently.

Julia's heart thumped, but she sighed, and took out her phone, glancing briefly over to the stun gun sitting on the passenger's side floor just out of sight. Julia looked through her old calls, and dialed Chief's number.

. . .

In Julia's kitchen, Chief's phone vibrated. The two had moved the phone to the kitchen table. Tigress freaked over seeing it was Julia calling. Strange. She picked it up.

"Hey, it's me. What's wrong?"

"Evening, is this Tamara Fraser, I'm speaking to?"

Tigress paused hearing the man's voice. She turned to Chief, pointing the gun at her, and sat back down on her chair.

"Y-yes of course."

"I'm sorry to bother you Ms. Fraser, this is Trooper Antwan McWhorter, Washington State Patrol, did you loan your car this evening to a Julia Argent? I only ask because I pulled her over for speeding about fifteen minutes ago and the car is registered to you."

"Oh yes, I most certainly did loan it to her" Tigress smirked, Chief rolled her eyes.

"Oh good, I thought so, just making sure. You know I'm from South Carolina myself and we tend to have an intuition about suspicious situ—"

"Great, thanks for checking in. Julia's trying to visit a uh, sick friend of ours, thanks for making sure she gets there safely. Buh-bye now" Tigress abruptly hung up, smugly gawking at a scowling Chief.

. . .

Antwan handed Julia back her phone. "I'm sorry about that, ma'am just trying to have all my ducks in a row is all. I hope your sick friend is alright."

"He will be" Julia half-smiled.

"So, I'm issuing you a citation for speeding, you have thirty days to set up a court date with the superior court of King County should you choose to contest. You may also sue the information here to pay for the fine online or over the phone should you choose not to contest. Have a pleasant evening, and drive safely" Antwan nodded before handing Julia the ticket.

"You too" She mumbled before getting back onto the road, eyes laser focused on her mission.

SEATTLE WASHINGTON SAME TIME

Tigress put the phone back down on the table, giddily looking at Chief. "A speed demon" Chief scoffed. "I assume she's trying to erase the voicemail I left Chase Devineaux before he hears it?"

"Ooh, you are good."

"You don't become Chief of A.C.M.E. by not being able to read your enemies."

"Then why are you tied to that chair instead of me?" Tigress asked.

"Keep laughing, kid. Keep laughing" Chief smirked, sliding her fingers into her watch band...

EVERETT WASHINGTON 2220 HOURS

Welp, nearly 4200 words and here's the first appearance of Chase Devineaux in this chapter. Chase's two beers had turned to four beers...and he was working on his fifth. He and Anthony were toggling between watching Fargo on Anthony's TV and going over alcohol-laden conspiracy theories as to whom Marauder is on a white board borrowed from Anthony's children.

"Oh come on, Bokeem Woodbine just shoves the guy's tie into the typewriter and nobody notices!?" Chase slurred. "And look at Patrick Wilson, his police car looks perfectly unspoiled, not a single scratch! That is Hollywood for you" Chase finished beer number five and turned to Anthony writing on the white board.

"Okay, so if Ellerbe is Marauder wha-wha-what's her endgame, you know?" Anthony asked, also on beer number five.

"Ack! I don't know who it is anymore!" Chase sneered. He stood up and stumbled over to a mini fridge, where Anthony had some cold ones sitting inside. Chase pulled out Goose Island IPA tall boy, flipping the can open and took a big gulp of the beer that was meant to be sipped...with dinner. "Why does V.I.L.E. hate us so much?"

"Oh! I know, right!? All-all we do is save the world from thieves and terrorists, a-and what they do?"

"Act like thieves and terrorists!" Chase parroted, flopping back down on the couch.

"I feel like Jack Bauer over here!" Anthony slurred, sitting next to Chase.

"What if we never catch Marauder?"

"Nah, Ch-chase, don't—alk like that, brother. We will slam her evil butt in jail, and then we—you and I, will be the greatest secret agents in the—whole, w-whole world."

Chase smiled, clinking his can with Anthony's bottle.

"You're alright, Agent Falco."

Chase swilled another gulp or two of hoppy goodness into his mouth hole.

But outside on the street, a more sinister house guest was about to enter the party. Julia had parked down the block, realizing it was probably not smart to have brought Chief's car without Chief, but she acted in haste and was now repenting in leisure.

She walked up to Anthony's front porch stopping short of his ALL ARE WELCOME HERE sign on his door, an ironic piece of signage considering the sinister double agent standing in front of it. Julia was about to knock when she hesitated.

How would she accomplish this feat? She was uninvited and feared alerting Anthony or Chase by phone might trigger Chase to listen to an almost certain incriminating voicemail. This seemed like Julia was in her own scene of To Steal or not to Steal. Does she knock and play it cool and try to steal Chase's phone while schmoozing him and Anthony? Or does she sneak in, erase the voicemail and sneak out unseen?

Now while she thought it best to try the sneaky approach she saved it as a backup plan in case one of Anthony's immediate family members turned her away. Julia took a deep breath, the longer she waited, the longer she risked exposure. So she knocked.

Seconds felt like hours, Julia knocked again and rang the doorbell, trying not to seem anxious. For all she knew, she was walking into a trap. The door eventually opened, revealing a doting Irene who Julia never met...and couldn't believe how someone as 'aw shucks' and shlubby as Anthony married someone like Irene. "Hi there, may I help you?" she asked happily with no worry or regard despite the fact there was a complete stranger at her front door well past normal business hours.

"Um yes, hello. My name is Julia Argent, I am a—"

"Oh my God!" Irene stopped Julia mid-sentence taking a gander at Julia's battle scars on her face. "You poor thing! Come in, come in."

"Oh um, thank you" Julia could barely finish her sentence before Irene pulled her inside, the door closing behind them.

As Irene pulled Julia inside...well first Julia admired Anthony's well maintained suburban home, then her eyes kept shifting to anything that resembled a smartphone, hopefully it being Chase's.

Irene pulled Julia into the kitchen and sat her down on a chair at their table. She got a good view of Julia and closely examined her injuries. "My God, what happened?" she asked the total stranger she just let into her domicile where her young children sleep.

"Oh It's nothing" Julia lied, hoping Irene was more gullible than Antwan. "I fell down the stairs in my apartment."

"Gosh, you have so many bruises."

"It was a lot of stairs" Julia retorted.

"Well you are so lucky you didn't break your face" Irene continued, getting a first aid kit from under their sink. She threw the contents on the table, sifting through them. "I read this tragic article in The Post that this man was thrown from his motorcycle, broke his entire face right off."

Julia raised an eyebrow, and she, much like Chase: didn't envy their children. "O-kay. I suppose those two scenarios sound the same" Julia snarkily added.

"Oh biscuits! I'm all out of peroxide."

"It's alright, I'm okay actually."

"Are you sure? I have some in my upstairs bathroom closet. It'll only take me a few moments to get them."

"No I'm—" Julia paused. Irene leaving for a moment or so would make the perfect opportunity to make the search for Chase's phone. "Oh, are you sure? It won't be too much trouble?"

"Of course not! I'll be right back, don't you worry" Irene ran from the kitchen towards the stairs in the foyer. As she vanished, Julia immediately rose from the chair and began to rifle through whatever she could, pausing to comically sit back down as she heard Irene rush back in seconds later. "Oh hey, I have some holistic tonics that might work."

"No, those are for doddering housewives with no jobs" dang, Julia.

"Alright-y, gimme a few seconds" an oblivious Irene smiled and disappeared again...now this is how she ended up with Anthony.

Julia once again got up and continued to rifle. It didn't take her long to find the mud room where Chase's jacket sat on the washing machine. Julia sighed of relief and reached in for the pockets, grabbing the phone, seeing there was in fact a missed call and voicemail from Chief who Chase listed in contacts as: CHIEF FRASER. However, before Julia tried to access Chase's phone Irene came back into the kitchen, noticing Julia was nowhere to be seen. It took her no time to find her in the mud room.

"Um, hello? What are you doing with that?" a suddenly concerned Irene asked.

"Oh, I-I um—"

"That doesn't belong to you."

Julia stood frozen while Irene's expression went from doting helpful suburban mother of four to very suspicious homeowner who is quickly regretting her good Samaritan nature. But we'll get back to them later...

SKIES OVER FRANCE 0639 HOURS

We forward through time as Carmen and company blast over Western Europe rapidly approaching their destination. The team was tired, jetlagged, and exhausted, but nevertheless were ready to take on their villainous foes.

Inside the cabin the crew was preparing. Carmen and Ivy looked over schematics of the museum to find possible entry points. Zack attached his phone to the stereo port inside the cabin, Something In The Way by Nirvana immediately starts playing.

(By the way if you haven't guessed by now, 9 times out of 10 there is a reason why the musical selections are playing where they are in the story.)

Zack yawned and sat in between the two of them. "I had a thought" he said.

Ivy's very sisterly response: "First time for everything."

Zack continued, but pushed Ivy's face out of the way, and turned to Carmen. "Carm I may have a hunch on who our mysterious Marauder might be."

Carmen playfully scoffed but who knows, maybe Zack was being smart. "I'm all ears."

"Jules."

Carmen was immediately taken aback. Ivy had gotten up off the couch after Zack had pushed her. "Jules Argent?" Carmen asked.

"Goody miss nice girl?" Ivy retorted.

"After all the terrible memories of our fight came back to me after getting kicked in the head three times too many, it hit me. At Fort Knox, Marauder and Tigress were stealing the gold. When we tried to corner them on the second floor Tigress suddenly has Jules at claw-point, and who is nowhere to be found—you guessed it: Marauder! Read 'em and weep!"

"Okay, Veronica Mars, I think you're jumping to conclusions" Ivy scoffed.

"Yeah, Jules is waaaaaaay too nice, she's just mad at me right now."

"But Carm, what about in D.C., right? You just happened upon her and suddenly—BAM, here's this brand new villain we've never seen before."

"She was doing reconnaissance, A.C.M.E. has their own network that can keep surveillance on V.I.L.E.'s crimes too" Carmen defended

"Could you imagine, the most innocent-looking person we know as V.I.L.E.'s top jerk-face."

"Exactly why it couldn't be Jules. I mean, does she even know half the fighting moves Marauder knows? No, this is some demented psychopath" Carmen sneered.

"Well you know, it was just a thought" Zack shrugged.

Carmen sat up on the couch, looking on with a quizzical thousand yard stare as she processed Zack's hypothesis.

SEATTLE WASHINGTON 2245 HOURS

Were inside A.C.M.E., in Agent Zari's office, which is just as cold, sterile, and as organized as you're picturing it in your head. Her desk and walls had nothing that made the space hers, except for one photograph, which was a stock photo that comes with the picture frame when you buy it at Home Goods...it was a granny smith apple.

Her searches came up with nada as well, nothing in the new agents they've recruited seemed suspicious. Zari leaned back in her computer chair and pondered. She grabbed a nearby plain white mug, nursing a now lukewarm coffee. She turned to her phone which was off to the side and saw there was a missed call from Chief over an hour ago.

Back in Julia's apartment, the awkward silence had returned. Chief continued to slowly reach for something in her watch band, as the object she searched for was almost freed. Chief still continued her small-talk with the fascinating V.I.L.E. operative in front of her.

"What do you plan on achieving at V.I.L.E., exactly?"

"Is this a job interview?" Tigress spat.

"Again, just making small-talk. What can they really provide you? Besides material things? You're essentially a ghost to all crime databases so it's s synch the media hasn't heard of you. You'll never find fame and prestige."

"It's overrated, anyhow."

"And what happens when you're boxed in a corner and your only option is to betray someone at V.I.L.E. to escape?" Chief asked.

Tigress narrowed her eyes. "By someone, you mean Julia?"

"I never said that."

"You were thinking it."

"Well, since you brought it up, how much will your relationship mean to you if your freedom was on the line?"

"Who do you think broke me out of your little jail?"

"But what happens when it isn't A.C.M.E., hmm? What if it's someone else? How much will your relationship matter to you, then?"

Now, you're expecting Tigress to lash out and strike Chief for such a crack like that. Instead, Tigress paused, fidgeting with Chief's gun in her hands. "You know, maybe any ordinary operative, yeah, screw them. It's every man for themselves. But not her."

"I'm impressed. For someone who looks so vapid and self-serving, who knew all you needed for some love and companionship was a British woman who is obsessed with art history."

Before Tigress could rebut, Chief's phone buzzed. Tigress picked it up, it was Zari. "Uh-oh, I'm guessing that's not a call you can take in my stead?" Chief smirked.

"I'll ignore it."

"Who is that? Zari. Oh no, she'll keep calling. Then she'll get suspicious. You can connect the dots from there."

Tigress put the gun right to Chief's head. "I'll take my chances with you haunting me if you don't make this call quick. You'd better keep it casual, I'm trained in this sort of thing."

Chief nodded. Tigress answered and put the phone to Chief's ear, the gun still to her head.

"Hello, Chief?"

"Yes, Agent Zari."

"You called me earlier?"

"My pen wasn't charged" Chief paused and looked up at Tigress. She could see the whirlwind of emotion on the blonde's face. It was fear mixed with anger and frustration. But Chief didn't want to take the risk.

"I apologize about my inbox being full. It's about the only thing of mine I don't have organized."

"Don't worry about it, it's nothing just wanted clarity on that side case you and Agent Kessler were working on?"

"It's a dead end. Besides, the State Department's been really slow in getting us that list of names from Yemen."

"Just keep on them, you're a stupendous agent, Zari. I know you'll tackle this."

. . .

Zari was taken aback by Chief's statement...mostly the stupendous part. "Um, thanks."

. . .

Back to the apartment. "You're quite welcome, oh, and I've been meaning to ask you, will you get something-anything to brighten up your office? It looks like I've walked into a showroom in a Staples. Start with that stock photo on your wall."

"I guess it could use some sprucing up, sure."

"Good. I'll see you..." Chief stopped as Tigress mashed the barrel onto Chief's head, I guess saying tomorrow was out of the question. "I'll see you."

"Okay, have a good night, Chief."

"You too, Zari." The call then cut.

. . .

Zari hung up, looking at the picture above her desk, the call seemed quite off. She pondered some more in silence.

. . .

Tigress smiled and put the phone back on the table. "How was that?" Chief sarcastically asked.

"Perfect" Tigress sat back down on the chair. "You don't seem so afraid of what we're going to do to you."

"Well I'm guessing I'll be ransomed off back to my own agency unless you have a vested interest of making me one of your mind controlled stooges. That's right. I know things."

"You mean Sandiego handing you free info?" Tigress asked.

"Something like that, sure." Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Both women looked over. "Expecting anymore company?" Chief sarcastically asked.

"Quiet" Tigress sneered. She got off the chair, the gun trained on Chief as she walked to the door, looking through the peephole. "What?" she asked.

A short portly man stood outside. "Um, hi-hi. Uh, my family lives right below you guys and my wife said she heard a lot of banging over an hour ago. I'm just making sure if everyone is okay?"

"You mean to tell us to keep it down, right?" Tigress asked. While she was looking through the peephole, this gave Chief ample time to unhook a small saw from under her watch band, she slowly finagled the teeth to cut the rope keeping her wrists bound together.

"No-no, it just sounded like a lot of banging, as she explained. I'm a doctor if you need me to look at anyone's wounds."

"Nobody's hurt. Now beat it, we'll keep it down."

"Alright then, have a nice night."

"Buzz off!" Tigress demanded and the man walked away from the peephole.

Chief quickly cut herself free, she stood up. Tigress turned around just in time to notice her. "Surprise" Chief coyly threw Tigress's earlier words against her before shoving her into the door, knocking the gun free.

Tigress got free of Chief and shoved her aside. The two women stared at each other in a face-off.

EVERETT WASHINGTON SAME TIME

From one face off to another. Julia stood frozen staring silently at Irene. Julia's evil mind was really turning, a kitchen has plenty of things to incapacitate someone...some of them can permanently do the job. Julia reached for her shorts, where the collapsed Crackle Rod were inside of them.

BUT, suddenly, the back door opened, and an inebriated Anthony entered. "Hon, do we have any...uh, any..." he trailed. Julia may have been saved by the bell once more.

"Anthony" she happily said.

"Oh, uh, Julia, you're here...in my house."

"That's right, I was here because I had something imperative to tell you and—"

Before Julia could finish, a drunken Chase stumbled inside. "Uh Irene, can we get some more fajitas...also, were out of fajitas" ladies and gentlemen, meet drunk Chase. "Miss Argent?"

"Yes Ag—Mr. Devineaux."

"What are you doing here?" Chase asked.

"In my house" Anthony slurred

"In Anthony's house" Chase retorted. "And why do you look so hurt?"

"She fell down a lot of stairs" Irene replayed the story. "Anthony, you know her?"

"Uh, yeah. We work together."

"We sell Microsoft products to people who are not Microsoft...stupid story" Chase declared...out loud. "She is my secretary."

Julia narrowed her eyes. "Yes, I am your secretary."

"Oh well, I'm so sorry, I thought she was just some grifter trying to steal your phone" Irene explained.

"My phone?" Chase parroted, now seeing it in Julia's hands. "Yes, my phone" he grabbed it from her, Julia gulped.

"Stupid Chief called me" Chase scoffed.

"He means regional director" Anthony added.

"Okay, well, I guess I can help Julia with her wounds."

"No-no, I am fine now, I feel...fine" she groaned.

"Hey, I'll get some more chips and guac, Julia, meet us in my man cave/pool house."

Julia looked at the phone in Chase's hands, he hadn't opened the voicemail and instead went right to Twitter. She sighed, knowing this would be the only way she could get close enough to the phone.

"That sounds fantastic" Julia deadpanned and followed Chase out. Chase was falling all over himself but he led her to the pool house, as chip particles and empty beer cans and bottles strewn out everywhere. "You two really tied one on" Julia sighed.

"Oh yeah, turns out lame old Anthony is very fun" Chase laughed, flopping on the couch, still with phone.

Julia needed a way to get that phone out of Chase's hands before hearing Chief's very incriminating voice mail. She went back to her V.I.L.E. training, there were plenty of ways to get what you want out of your target. Julia noticed a stereo and record player next to it. Julia walked over to the table and sifted through a few vinyl records.

"Agent Falco appears to be a fan of grunge."

"Who?" Chase asked.

"Grunge, a rock and roll movement categorized with loud guitar melodies and lazy vocal delivery. It became popular in Seattle in the 1990's, but Nirvana was perhaps the most famous of these bands"

"Fascinating. You mean all those slacker college kids who sung about whining and wore clothing which made them appear to be homeless?" Chase asked, perusing Twitter. "Do you ever switch off, Agent Argent?"

Julia clenched her fists, and cued the record to Heart Shaped box. Julia then took a deep breath and whispered. "Forgive me, my tiger" she then put on a seductive face and sauntered over to Chase, half asleep.

"You know, I forgot to go over to your house didn't I?" Chase slurred.

"That's quite alright. I'm here now" Julia said in an almost seductive tone.

"Wh-what are you doing?"

"You know, I've...I-I never really noticed just how rugged you look...Chase."

"Chase? Why so familiar?"

"Who says we have to be on a last name basis all the time. Besides, it's after spying hours" she cooed.

Julia started to lean in, and drunken Chase blushed and put on the cheesiest smile you ever did see. "This has to be a dream" he said.

"No-no, Chase. This is no dream" Julia whispered.

She fell on top of him colliding her lips into Chase's face-mouth. Julia gave him the sloppiest, most underwhelming kisses in the world, but Chase was too drunk to know the difference...heck, if he were sober he wouldn't know the difference.

Chase leaned up and hugged Julia while he continued to make out with her. Julia reached around to Chase's phone which he left on the couch. The wily Julia almost had a grip on it when the two heard the double doors creak open and the two threw themselves off of one another as Anthony stormed in with more beer and fajitas.

"Hey-hey, it's fajita o'clock!"

"Oh, good" Julia sighed, Chase's phone still in his possession.

"Yes, fantastic" Chase nodded, sort of embarrassed but also annoyed that Anthony was the king of bad timing.

SEATTLE WASHINGTON 2322 HOURS

Tigress and Chief continued their kitchen standoff with neither woman taking their eyes off the other. It had almost become anti-climactic at this point, but the tension was slowly building again.

Chief was more determined than ever. Not merely to escape but to properly expose Julia and have her thrown in jail along with the rest of V.I.L.E. and this blonde Valley Girl stereotype was all that stood in her proverbial way.

This was indeed Tigress's battle to lose. Everything was riding on this. Chief could see the nervousness in Tigress's eyes and waited for her to slip up and make a mistake, perhaps even a fatal mistake.

But Chief recoiled. She thought back to what this night began as...Chief was reminded of her pettiness with her last cordial encounter with Dexter Wolfe. He wanted immunity and she just didn't want to give him the satisfaction. He was a father with a new family and wanted to turn over a new leaf. But Dexter had the knowhow to leave that meeting knowing he wasn't going to get the concessions he hoped for.

Tigress on the other hand was young, probably the best years of her life still ahead of her. Chief figured, her screw-up with Dexter could be mended. Maybe catching more flies with honey instead of vinegar would be a useful tactic. But would Tigress go for it?

"Look, Tigress. Why don't we be reasonable?" Chief suggested.

"You and I both know we are WAY past reasonable."

"Fair point. I'll cut to the chase then: you are alone. You cannot get to any V.I.L.E. support in time and your closest ally for all you know is walking into a trap—"

"Wait...what are you doing?" Tigress asked, her defenses lowered.

Chief saw this and half smirked. She continued. "I have a lot of pull—not just at A.C.M.E. but at intelligence departments the world over."

"I get it, you're better than me" Tigress deadpanned. "What's your point?"

"What do you think it is? If you surrender and promise to give up any and every bit of info you have on V.I.L.E., then A.C.M.E. is fully prepared to give you a complete and categorical pardon for all your crimes."

"Ha! I've done waaaaaaay too much to just be handed immunity" Tigress scoffed.

"A very sad statement except I can guarantee it."

"With all due respect...Chief, given the fact that you were planning on taking my life—regardless of what would do to you mentally; I'm gonna need something a bit more reassuring than your personal guarantee—if I were interested."

Chief's smile grew. "That sounds as though you'd like to hear more?"

"No."

"Well, you don't seem so interested in making the first move so I'll just continue: all you have to do is turn state's evidence on V.I.L.E. and all its associates, and you'll be happy to know we still consider Carmen Sandiego part of that laundry list of associates" Chief continued.

"You're lying."

"Taking down V.I.L.E. has been my life's work. I would do anything to rid the world of their presence, even if that means letting you walk free and clear."

Tigress had a rough couple of days, never mind the vast and endless amounts of anxiety that came with her thrilling life as a professional thief. Chief's words seemed to be resonating with her, given her sporadic shaking and refusing to look Chief in the yes. Chief knew this was working.

"You can't possibly guarantee that?"

"The Justice Department owes me more favors than a porcupine has spikes, imagine their delight knowing V.I.L.E. ceases to exist. They'll grant me whatever I want if I can make that happen, and I will of course wipe your criminal history off the map."

"It's already wiped clean. As far as the world is concerned I don't exist."

"Yes but your charges will pile up once we apprehend you again and record them, this guarantees that doesn't happen and you will once again walk out of my secret agency in one piece and no jail time hanging over your head. I know you robbed Fort Knox and I can still say with confidence I can get that expunged."

Tigress scoffed but definitely thought about it. "W-Where would I go? I'd have to go into Witness Protection."

"Arizona's lovely this time of year" Chief shrugged. "Hey, you can do the right thing now or just keep running, you know your luck is bound to run out, the question is not if, but when. You can do something truly meaningful with your life, Tigress. You can write your memoirs, or take up knitting. But you won't have to worry about prison, or V.I.L.E. deciding one day you're expendable."

Tigress froze. This went against everything she believed in. Her whole entire life she wanted to be out for herself, always ready for the next caper, the next cool thing to steal...But there was something about her recent experiences that put a few things in perspective for her.

Really what it was, was Chief was a master negotiator/manipulator. She could take this over-confident villainess and immediately profiled her down to a two-note sociopath longing for her parents' affection. Not to mention her own mortality coming into play, she was almost shot to death.

"I-I can't. I can't betray V.I.L.E."

"Sure you can. Argent had no trouble betraying A.C.M.E., what's the difference here? You can be on the side of good. Look Tigress, I know this life sounds all fun and games; keeping your scores and making The Man look like an idiot, in a different life I'd be right there with you but this life is not sustainable. You're right, I was going to take your life and aside from knowing you're going to haunt me while I take a shower I wouldn't have lost one ounce of sleep over it. You know how many other law enforcement agents think the same way I do? Give up? Most of them! Face facts, the party is over and the only reason you haven't lunged at me yet is because you know I'm going right for that gun. If by some miracle you do escape it will not last, and I swear if I have to swallow my pride and beg Carmen Sandiego to come back to us and tell us everything she knows about V.I.L.E.; then believe me, I will. But hey, if you do this, think of it this way, I won't need Sandiego, and then she can join your former associates in prison where they all belong, while you enjoy your life of freedom. How does that grab you?"

Such a proposition. No risk of death, life of fame if she does write some memoirs, and Carmen goes to the hoosegow with the rest of V.I.L.E. while she doesn't. Maybe it was her head not being able to deal with almost dying, or maybe these last few capers were positively overwhelming her, and the life of crime she so loved didn't seem so appealing as it once did.

But really, Tigress thought how she started to change the moment Julia came into her life...Oh right, that. Julia, Tigress's girlfriend—

(And let's face it, they're a way cuter couple than Luz and Amity)

-The one person who was able to ground the pie-in-the-sky platinum blonde and make her care about someone other than herself. She still couldn't stand how Julia made her want to melt whenever she was around her, and wanted that for much longer than some silly fling. She wanted to take her with her.

"If I wanted to do this, I have one stipulation."

"Go on."

"Julia goes with me. No exceptions."

Chief paused, she rubbed her temples. "C-Come on, kid. One full pardon is one thing, but—"

"No exceptions. If you're really interested in taking down V.I.L.E., I'm sure your "connections" won't care so much if the world's nicest person were released with me" Tigress demanded.

"World's nicest person? What's your definition of nice? She's clearly unstable."

"I don't care."

"You don't understand—"

"What? I'm every bit a criminal as she is. Why can't you grant me this one thing?"

"Because the offer is for you. H-H-H-How do I know Argent won't want a similar deal? Am I supposed to have all of V.I.L.E. pardoned? What's the point?"

"She won't, and if for whatever reason she says no, I can persuade her. Trust me on that." Tigress smiled.

"You'll find a nice girl, I promise. Forget about Argent" Chief pleaded.

"No way. Make it for both of us, or no deal!"

"I-I can't. This offer is for you and you only."

Tigress narrowed her eyes. "You think I'm an idiot? Of course you won't let her in on the deal. Same thing the way you treat her and probably everybody else around. She spites you, and you want to spite back! I bet if it were anyone else at V.I.L.E. you'd jump at the opportunity! You're a hypocrite. But I'm certain that's not the first time you've been called that!" Tigress hissed.

Chief sighed. "So no deal, then?"

"Just admit I'm right."

"You're not" Chief lied. "But are you in, or out?"

Tigress glared and raised her fists. "Out."

"Have it your way" Chief shrugged, now in. standoff once more.

PARIS FRANCE 0805 HOURS

Ah, the city of love! A great place to eat a crepe, see the Eiffel tower, or if your V.I.L.E., pilfer works of fine art that a bunch of stuffy overly educated milquetoast good-for-nothings deemed valuable.

Inside the Louvre, the museum would be opening soon, except it wouldn't because all the guards and small staff were too busy being tied up thanks to the operatives sent to rob the museum: El Topo, Le Chevre, and rounding out this cavalcade of comedic calamity: Dash Haber.

The three were walking about the walls while Dash would appraise the art and ones that were desired by the faculty were then placed lazily into sacks El Topo and Le Chevre carried.

"Too dull...too dark...too Gauguin" Dash tut-tutted the priceless art.

"Are we looking for paintings Countess Cleo likes, or ones you like?" Le Chevre asked with a slight annoyance.

"What difference does it make Le Chevre? Cleo likes whatever looks good in her room and to be honest, I wouldn't hang this schlock in a storage closet."

"Harsh" El Topo whispered as Dash tossed another paining into the sacks.

Above them was a skylight where our three anti-heroes looked down from the roof. "No sign of Marauder, that's good" Zack sighed of relief.

"Doesn't mean they won't have her waiting in the wings" Carmen warned. "Remember last time, they made sure I was cornered off with her and away from them. They might try that again, so be on your guard."

"So, what is the plan, Carm?" Ivy asked.

"Pay a little visit to the Mona Lisa" she smirked.

EVERETT WASHINGTON 2331 HOURS

Anthony had changed the record on the player, in keeping with the grunge theme, Bush was the band, Glycerine was the song. "I see you both stumbled upon my records."

"You're some beatnik grunge-head?" Chase slurred.

"Oh big time pal. I moved here from San Antonio in the mid 1990's and some friends and I started our own grunge band: The Melancholy Tank Tops."

Chase and Julia looked at one another for a moment. "You're an odd fellow, Agent Falco" Julia said.

"Thank you. Anyway, we were into some hot Marauder talk."

"Quite" Chase got up from the couch. "But we've ruled out Agent Ellerbe."

"Oh? Any new leads?" Julia asked.

"No, but you-y-you being here you know, might help us" Anthony explained.

"Oui, you have gotten closer to her than any other operative" Chase added.

Julia may have been more frightened as that was how Chief essentially accused Julia some hours ago; however, they were both clearly intoxicated so maybe they were still clueless. Julia was in too deep though, she had to get that phone away from Chase.

"I suppose maybe I am just unlucky. I think maybe they got a glimpse of my A.C.M.E. card during our fight at the Vatican, and found my address, that's how they kidnapped me so easily."

"See, now that makes perfect sense" Anthony agreed.

"Right. But it is not your fault, we have all been careless with our things every now and then" Chase condescendingly explained.

Julia narrowed her eyes. God, even when she was fake-romancing him he couldn't even pretend to be nice when around someone else. Anthony started to slur his writing on the whiteboard while Chase pretended to be interested, his face buried in his phone. Julia wouldn't take her eyes off him. The song faded.

SEATTLE WASHINGTON SAME TIME

The tension had been ratcheted up to eleven inside the apartment. Chief could see the sweat billowing on Tigress's brow. Their eyes would occasionally shift to the fallen pistol.

"Now don't be stupid, kid. Take the deal" Chief demanded.

"Not without Julia."

"You're being foolish! You are young, you can find someone better."

"Not. Without. Julia" Tigress reiterated.

Chief sighed. "Fine. I'll stop asking" Chief thought of an opportunity, which she had been doing for the past ten minutes while Tigress stood frightened. She slowly slid her right foot out of her shoe. "Don't say I didn't warn you!" Chief flicked the shoe right into Tigress's gut. Chief lunged, but Tigress, assuming it was for the gun jumped towards the weapon.

This was a ruse as Chief merely slid her show back on and winked at Tigress before exiting the apartment, just in time for Tigress to grab and aim the gun. "No!" She got to her feet, and ran outside the apartment, letting the door to their carnage close behind them.

Tigress did a double take and looked towards the elevators where Chief had gotten into the elevator. Chief winked and waved condescendingly as the door closed. Tigress made a sprint and a slide towards the elevator but in true comical fashion it closed just as she had gotten there.

Chief slammed the 1 button instead of the L button. She assumed Tigress would catch her at the first floor so she picked the floor above in order to then sneak down the stairs and get the drop on her. Dang, she is good.

"Okay, Tamara. Find a ride, get to A.C.M.E." she told herself "And swing by the store and get a gallon of soy milk because remember you're out."

Suddenly, Chief heard a vibration from inside her blazer. She smiled, remembering she picked up the communicator to use as evidence. I guess the two had forgotten to search her. Such a rookie mistake, but then again, the two had made numerous rookie mistakes the past few hours which were coming back to haunt them both.

Chief reached in and grabbed the communicator. The screen read: COACH BRUNT with the options: ANSWER or DECLINE. Chief smiled. "This outta be good."

Chief wanted to press decline, but figured she could get more insight if she saw another V.I.L.E. operative, at least put a name to a face. She answered the call, and who was on the other side of the screen? None other than Brunt, now clad in a leopard print robe, hair still in curlers.

"Hey girls, did ya nab Devineaux yet? Momma's really gotta—" Brunt paused, seeing a new face on the other end of her screen. "Hey, who're you?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"Hey sister, that communicator don't belong to you. So unless you want to be in a world a hurt you'll—"

"Does the device belong to a Sheena, aka Tigress? Or perhaps Julia Argent...aka Marauder?" Chief coyly asked.

Brunt crossed her arms. "A.C.M.E.?"

"I can't disclose such information."

"Bull! No one's gotten closer to our organization than you weasels! And since we're on the subject, why name your organization after the same company Wile E. Coyote buys all his absurd weaponry to try and kill the Roadrunner?" Brunt asked. "I gotta know."

Chief was about to explain, but the elevator dinged, and the door opened up, no Tigress in sight. "Sorry, this is my stop, maybe we can do this again some time."

Chief found the end call button and shut Brunt off. Inside the stairwell, Tigress leaped down each flight of stairs, predictably trying to reach the lobby floor, much in the way she and Julia were ambushed at Fort Knox. She received a call over her watch. Tigress looked at the screen, Coach Brunt. "Ugggggh. What does she want?" Tigress scoffed before answering. "Coach, hey, now's not a really good time."

"Oh this won't take long, sugar plum I just have one little question for ya: WHY IS THERE SOMEONE ELSE USING YOUR COMMUNICATOR!?" she boomed.

"Oh no" Tigress gulped. "Coach, um, I-I-I don't really have time to explain, but let me just say, Marauder and I are handling it!"

"Who is that woman!?"

"Our ticket to keeping A.C.M.E. at bay" Tigress promised her.

"Uh-huh, sure! I don't believe this! If word gets out—"

"It won't! I promise-look, Coach, I really gotta run, gotta deal with problem, were gonna fix it, okay bye!"

"Wait, don't you—" Tigress hung up the call as she made it to the first floor. No one was in sight. Tigress turned her attention to the front doors, they didn't look like anyone recently ran through them.

From behind Tigress, Chief had entered the lobby from the stairwell, not being too far behind the platinum blonde. Chief sneaked down the hall behind Tigress and over to an exit door, as she opened it, Tigress turned around and sprinted towards Chief as she ran out.

PARIS FRANCE 0845 HOURS

The three idiots had procured plenty of paintings to pacify the positively pretentious Countess. They were turning a corner to find the Mona Lisa. "Did you guys hear the rumor?" Le Chevre asked.

"Unless you're about to tell me Supreme is going bankrupt I don't want to hear it" Dash sassily scoffed.

"I like Supreme" El Topo announced.

"You would" Dash sighed.

"No-no-no, I heard Tigress and Marauder robbed Fort Knox" Le Chevre said.

"Two agents to rob all that gold? Nonsense" Dash shook his head.

"It was unsanctioned, totally unknown by the Faculty" Le Chevre added.

"Is there anything Marauder can't do?" El Topo asked longingly.

"Paper Star is totally jelly about her" Dash quipped. "In more ways than one" he winked to the both of them. "But, we will cement ourselves in the Faculty's good graces once we rob the—it's gone!" Dash looked up mid-sentence and all three were startled to find the exhibit empty.

"Gone! As in stolen?" El Topo asked.

"No El Topo, I'm sure it's just time for it's weekly dusting" Dash sarcastically blurted.

"What a relief" El Topo took the bait, eliciting facepalms from the other two.

"How did someone steal it first? It is not sporting!" Le Chevre complained.

"I'll give you three guesses" Dash snorted, studying the alleged crime scene. "Spoiler alert, the thief has terrible fashion senses."

"Carmen Sandiego?" El Topo guessed. More facepalms ensued.

"Okay, Antonio, why don't you stay here and guard the exhibit, Le Chevre and I will go find the culprits, knowing them, they didn't get far" Dash ordered.

"Come on!" Le Chevre called and the two ran off in two different directions, leaving El Topo alone and with all their loot.

Coming around the corner was Zack. He looked and saw El Topo standing there with their bags of absconded artwork. Zack looked next to him and saw another painting. The boy genius had one of his many "brilliant" ideas.

He took the painting, border and all and placed it in the opening. El Topo looked down the corridor and noticed the discarded painting. That wasn't there before. He didn't hear anyone so he went to investigate, he studied the painting briefly. "Ooh, it's a Monet."

While he looked over the priceless piece of art which he held in his hands like it could drop at any second. Zack was right next to him along the wall of the corridor separation. He socked El Topo right on the cheek, knocking him out instantly. He triumphantly rubbed his fist to his palm. "Nope, it's a sucker" Zack smirked, looking down at the knocked out El Topo.

EVERETT WASHINGTON 2347 HOURS

Chase had ceased drinking, because he was afraid one more beer might send him to vomit-town. Nobody wants to be in vomit-town. Anthony had switched to another Nirvana record, playing their song Sappy.

Julia's eyes were firmly locked on Chase, or rather the phone he refused to look up from, just like those cool millennials we hear so much about. Anthony was now writing pure gibberish on the white board...and the stuff that was legible was unmitigated nonsense.

"I feel like she could be anyone" A groggy Chase complained.

"But she has a vendetta against you and Carmen Sandiego, right? How many mutual people could you two possibly know?" Anthony asked.

"Bah, who knows?" Chase asked. "For all we know it could be some random crazy person who knows of us and just wants to be in the limelight."

"An excellent observation "Special" Agent Devineaux" Julia blurted, quite happy Chase was making observations that took her out of the equation.

"Still though, what if it were someone interesting, huh?" Chase asked, eating another fajita. "Someone like: Anna Akana...Selena Gomez..." he then looked up towards Julia. "Julia Argent?" he smirked.

Julia stared blankly at Chase. Oh no, had he figured it out too? Despite her reservations she merely made a nervous smirk and threw her hands in the air. "You got me."

Chase's smile grew then he burst out into laughter, followed by Anthony who joined in. "You know—y-you know, you were right, man. Now that I hear it out loud it's ridiculous."

"See, I told you"

Julia raised an eyebrow, she connected the dots. "Wait, you both...did you both assume that I am Marauder, really?"

"Relax Julia, we had to narrow down everyone possible" Anthony defended.

"We know it cannot be you, truly" Chase added.

Julia rolled her eyes. "Yes, of course. Because I am too nice."

"Yes, see, you get it" Chase chuckled. "Guess I should really listen to this voicemail from Chief."

Julia's eyes widened. "You know what would be fun, uh—Special Agent Devineaux, why don't you play me at a game of billiards" Julia insisted.

"I mean, I'm a little drunk."

"Yes, but someone with so much skill that you possess you could beat me at any capacity" she said with a seductive wink stroking his ego.

Chase blushed, taking the bait. "Anthony, hold my beer!" he said motioning to the empty can of Goose Island next to him.

Chase stumbled and bumbled his way to the pool table, setting his phone down on the coffee table. He grabbed a pool cue and chalked the tip, as you do. Julia racked the balls with the triangular...I dunno what you call it—the thing that keeps the balls in a perfect triangle before you break.

"I'm surprised Argent, you-you look, look good, you know after being kidnapped" Anthony said as Julia lifted the ball racker thing, revealing the billiards in a perfect triangle.

"I was frightened, but I know how to soldier on. You break, Agent Devineaux."

"Sounds—(burp)—good."

Chase grabbed the white cue ball, where small blue dimples formed on it from getting clacked with the chalked tips constantly, meaning Anthony gets some good use out of that table. He clumsily aimed the cue, and made a terrible break, the cue striking a corner of the ball, sending it down table, just barely touching the 5 ball, the point on the triangle.

"I told you" he snorted.

Julia walked over and made a perfect break, sending all the balls in different directions. Two stripe balls went into two pockets. Sappy faded and the next song was In Bloom. "Guess I'm stripes" Julia smirked, going for her next shot. This was also a success. She turned to see Chase roll his eyes, he reached for his phone. Julia gasped and intentionally missed her next shot, so Chase could go. "Whoops, guess it's your turn."

"Right" Chase slurred getting up again and lining up another comically ill-fated shot. Julia's peripherals were locked on to the phone.

SEATTLE WASHINGTON SAME TIME

Clacking shoes...huffing and puffing...no this isn't the world's noisiest foot race, this is Chief alluding the gun-toting Tigress, hot on her trail as the two raced through the streets of the Emerald City.

"Get back here!" Tigress hollered.

"Well since you asked so nicely!" Chief sarcastically yelled back. She came to an alley way and dashed into it, Tigress followed closely behind, only to see Chief had vanished. Tigress hears the clutter noise of a door closing quietly.

She looked to her left where the back door to that building had just closed. Not thinking this to be a coincidence, Tigress sneaked in, revealing a dimly lit hallway to what was the first floor to a different apartment building. As Tigress sneaked through the hallway, she passed a door, which happened to be a janitor's closet. As Tigress past it, the door opened, and out popped Chief who shoved Tigress to the floor, knocking the pistol from her hands. Chief jumped over Tigress and recovered her gun.

"Tag, you're it!" Chief said smugly. She picked up her pistol, realizing Tigress had gone out the back door where they came in. Chief followed closely behind, and ran out, seeing Tigress take to the side of a building. "Oh, kitty can climb, huh? Well so can I!" Chief ran to the fire escape and jumped, clinging onto the ladder and climbed up the fire escape as Tigress clawed up the building. She made it to the roof, stopping to take a rest.

She jumped behind an exposed vent duct on the roof. She peered around the side, seeing the armed-again Chief climb up onto the roof. "There's some fitting irony, Tigress. The cat becomes the mouse. Cliché, yet karmic in a way" Chief called, trying to lure Tigress out of her hiding place, assuming she didn't just bolt while she had some time.

She felt a vibration from inside her coat, it was the communicator, another call from Coach Brunt. Chief smirked and answered, still searching on the roof. Her hubris got the better of her and she assumed she could best Tigress easier now, so she felt mildly distracting herself with Brunt's call wouldn't hurt.

"May I help you?" Chief asked.

"Now listen up, Pantsuit! Here's how this is gonna work—"

"No-no, this is how its going to work" Chief interrupted her. "First, I'm going to arrest Tigress here, then I'll arrest Julia Argent. Let's see how it takes before those two start talking."

"Over your dead body!" Brunt sneered.

"Mine, or yours?" Chief quipped. "I really must run, I'm on the hunt" she smirked and ended the call yet again.

With Chief away from her, Tigress took the opportunity to take off. Chief spotted her and took aim as Tigress ran off. Seeing her near the edge, Chief lowered her gun and took off after her after realizing she wouldn't be able to get a good shot and didn't want to risk any collateral damage.

Tigress ran from rooftop to rooftop throughout the neighborhood. As she ran, she got a call on her watch communicator, surprise-surprise, it was Brunt. "Uh, I hope you and Marauder got a genius plan for this little snafu?"

"Ironclad. We've hit a snag but we'll fix this. She only has my communicator, no phone, no nothing, she can't get word out to A.C.M.E" Tigress defended.

"And what about Devineaux?"

"Look Coach, we will fix this, but right now I reeeeeeeally need to get away from this psycho!"

"I'll be checking in again, and you'd better have good news when I do!" she demanded before cutting out again.

Tigress wasn't paying attention and tripped while disconnecting from the call. She fell into a skylight, breaking the glass and falling right through. Fortunately, this is a cartoon, and she fell into a swimming pool, so aside from some minor cuts and bruises, Tigress is A-Okay! But we'll get back to her later.

PARIS FRANCE 0904 HOURS

Le Chevre prowled through the empty halls of the most famous art museum in the world. At times he would get better vantage points by jumping from column to column, but he was coming up empty.

Suddenly, he felt something nip at his cheek, almost feeling the world's wimpiest bee sting. He dropped to the floor and out of the woodwork came Ivy, having a rubber band at the ready to slingshot at Le Chevre's face, this being the obvious culprit from his previous smack.

"Rubber bands?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, so unless you want to suffer the pain of a thousand tiny pinches, you'll back outta here!" Ivy commanded.

"Please. Do you really think I'm afraid of any stupid—" he couldn't finish his sentence before Ivy launched the band at his face, bullseye. She got another one ready. "Ouch! That hurts, kind of."

"Want more?"

"Where did you even get these?"

"What? I needed a weapon, the office over there was open and well, I improvised" Ivy shrugged. "So, you gonna surrender yet?"

"Not a chance!"

"Have it your way! It's always more fun when it's your way" she joked.

Le Chevre gnashed his teeth and then lunged upon Ivy. She fell to her back and kicked Le Chevre off of her, knocking him into the nearest wall. The two recovered and the goat boy lunged again, only to get a face full of SNAP when another rubber band hit him square in the face.

Le Chevre then did a slide kick back into Ivy, and this had effect, knocking the redhead onto her butt. She saw Le Chevre take charge once more. Ivy fell into a fetal position at the right time and Le Chevre tripped over her, falling into the nearest wall.

Now with opportunity, Ivy rushed up to Le Chevre as he laid in pain on the floor. Ivy took aim right at his face with another rubber band. "No! No please!" Le Chevre begged. "You have won!"

"Yeah, but consider this payback for The Vatican" Ivy then launched the rubber band, hitting Le Chevre right in the face.

SEATTLE WASHINGTON 0013 HOURS

Tigress fished herself out of the water, turns out, this was definitely the pool for a hotel, hopefully not the Hilton Tigress stayed at before. She looked up towards the skylight. The moon shone through but Tigress didn't see Chief standing on the roof. But she heard her voice echoing throughout the dark pool room.

"The cat stereotypes practically write themselves" Chief joked.

"Where are you!? Show yourself!" Tigress demanded. She received no answer.

She immediately felt scared. Chief had the gun, and the upper hand. Knowing she couldn't stay there long, Tigress quickly bolted out into the more well-lit hallway, which lead to a lobby. It made things all the eerier when the lobby seemed empty, even the clerk at the front desk was gone.

Tigress made a sprint for the main doors, BUT a piece of luggage came out of nowhere, knocking the blonde villainess down. Tigress came to quickly, but Chief was now towering above her, gun in face.

"Now, can we end this charade already?"

Tigress glared, swatting the gun front Chief's hands, kicking her to the ground once more. Tigress again erred and went for the gun, upon getting up, it was obvious Chief was gone. Tigress ran out of the hotel, where several youngsters gathered and marched down the street in some form of protest. Tigress weaved through the crowd of picket sign-toting unemployed youths, keeping the gun nice and low and behind her back so it wouldn't be seen so easily.

She walked against the advancing teens making it difficult for her gun to have been seen provided everyone kept it moving. As Tigress sifted through the crowd, she struck luck; she caught a fleeting glimpse of Chief sneak down an alleyway in front of her.

Tigress headed for the alley and saw the building next to her had a side door which like before had just closed. This was again too much a coincidence for Tigress and she sneaked into the side door. The building happened to be the Union Square building, one of Seattle's tallest and one of the most notable skyscrapers.

She slowly moved through the halls of the first floor, no sign of Chief. She kept the gun hidden as she entered the lobby of the building, to her luck, she caught another fleeting glimpse of an elevator closing, Chief inside of it. Tigress ran to the elevator, it stopped at the forty-seventh floor.

Tigress looked about the lobby, only a janitor was inside, mopping the floors. His mop and work cart his only companions. He was listening to music and had his headphones in his ears. He was looking down and thus did not notice Tigress, or so she thought.

She looked and saw a security camera near the elevators. It was obvious that Tigress can be seen and that her gun was visible. She turned and looked down the hall towards the reception booth and saw a room at the end of the hallway with the door open.

The curious cat smirked, just her luck, a security office conveniently with all the cameras set to a wall of monitors. The guard was out, and the office was completely empty. Tigress smiled and wasted no time destroying the camera hard drives. Thinking of another idea she ran out into the lobby, she was again allegedly unnoticed. She looked and saw the elevator still at floor 47. Tigress went to look for a freight elevator as the janitor gazed up at Tigress walking away. The blonde villainess found the elevator after looking for the service entrance, and sent herself down a few flights. Once in an underground floor of the structure, Tigress followed all the wires and pipes until she found the primary box where all the incoming telephone lines were connected.

"Come to mamma" she smirked, prying the boxes open with her claws before severing the lines, effectively killing the phone lines in the building. She headed back up to the lobby, smirking as she past the janitor once more. Tigress called the elevator and hopped in once one returned, her destination? Floor 47.

The janitor gazed with suspicion and took out a cellphone. An urgent voice on the other line answered. "Seattle Police Department, what's your emergency?"

Inside the elevator Tigress had no time to enjoy the Muzak playing on the speakers, she studied the gun, checking the clip, it was fully loaded. She gulped. A call came over her watch, you know who it is.

"You better have something good to report?"

"I cornered her in a building. Wiped out the security cameras and outbound phone lines."

"Anyone spot you?" Brunt asked.

Tigress figured the janitor either didn't see her, or didn't care. "No, completely under the radar" she lied.

Brunt huffed. "Alright, look, I got the Cleaners coming, but keep in mind, this snafu needs to end."

"I totally agree. We're working on it."

"Right but you're not understanding me, kiddo. We can't risk this lady getting our info out in the open. So if you do have an opportunity, I want you to...make sure this problem permanently goes away."

Tigress was taken aback. "You want me to kill her?"

"It's a building, make it look accidental" Brunt added seemingly ignoring Tigress's question which simultaneously confirmed the answer.

"But, b-but-but, but Coach—"

"But Coach what?" Brunt asked. "You've had no problem in the past causing harm to who we steal from, how much of a leap is that from before ? Leave no witnesses."

"But—"

"No buts except yours pushing Pantsuit out a window. I'm sorry, Tigress. But if it's between you and her, you know what that decision has to be. She's gotta go."

Tigress's heart pounded. Realistically, she didn't want to. It was tempting, but in all honesty, being in this situation was new to her, and she just didn't know how she could go through with it. But she nodded, as the elevator dinged, floor 47.

PARIS FRANCE 0910 HOURS

Dash Haber was the last operative still on his feet. He couldn't find Carmen or the Mona Lisa, which sucked because the Mona Lisa was really the number one painting on Cleo's list of artwork she desperately wanted.

He turned a corner where leaning informally against one of the columns, startling Dash when she came into view. "Gah!"

"Sir, I think you're confused, you see you look at the paintings, not steal them."

"What was that supposed to be? Was that your version of a hero quip?" Dash sarcastically asked.

"It's all I could come up with on short notice."

"Where is it, Carmen?"

"Pardon my ignorance but what exactly is the "it" you're referring to?" Carmen asked.

"The painting" Dash deadpanned.

"Again, you're gonna have to be a biiiiit more spec—"

"Mona Lisa! The Mona Lisa!" Dash shouted in exasperated frustration.

"Leonardo Di Vinci" Carmen coyly quipped.

"Okay" Dash took a deep breath and facepalmed. "I guess we'll do this the hard way!" He took off his hat, revealing the saw blades in the brim, and he launched it at Carmen.

Carmen knew what to do with Dash's hat, she had destroyed it at least once before. When Dashed launched it, Carmen ducked and caught it, fisting the inside of the hat as it headed towards her. She then took out her taser and shocked it, rendering it's boomerang effect void and the hat itself ruined as an actual hat.

"Son of a—I just got it fixed, too!" he screamed before lunging.

Carmen was once again ready for him and sucker punched Dash square in the face. She hit him with combination after combination. Dash attempted to fight back, but he was always on the defensive, and in retreat. Carmen took off after him.

SEATTLE WASHINGTON 0021 HOURS

Tigress entered the darkened floor of the building, quickly finding a logo on the wall opposite the elevators. The entire floor was rented out by one corporation: METCALFE BIO CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGIES, LTD. Great, shooting the wrong thing could emit anything from oxygen to plutonium.

Her aim was shaky as she moved about the halls of the facility. But she was being watched, for on the other side of the floor was Chief, standing in an experimentation room, herself waiting for Tigress to confront her. She felt a now familiar vibration inside her coat, and answered the communicator. Brunt was on screen.

"You don't know when to learn, do you?" Brunt asked.

"If I knew when to "learn" I wouldn't be who I am" Chief snarked.

"I'll give you one final chance to surrender peacefully to my subordinate."

"Or else what? You'll kill me? Tell you the truth, given the choice of being dead or under some sort of mind control, well; I'll take dead."

"Have it your way" Brunt sneered, and ended the call.

Tigress heard the talking from her position and slowly moved down the corridor to the experimentation room. She opened up a curtain, and not surprisingly, Chief stood in the middle of the room, unarmed and with her hands up.

"Don't move!" Tigress warned.

"My hands are up" Chief said calmly complying. "Now then, I'm sure you remember the conversation about death we had earlier, no?" Chief asked.

"Stop talking" Tigress demanded, teeth gritted.

"I've got an added wrinkle for you" Chief began. "It's why I picked this floor in this building in particular. You'll notice behind me there are several vats in these flimsy polymer drums, if you'll direct your attention to the label you'll see these are drums of dangerous hydrofluoric acid. Which means, your bullet goes through me and hits these drums, causing a leak and I don't know how familiar you are with Breaking Bad but this stuff melts anything in its path, except ironically a flimsy looking form of plastic. Now, given this risks to my life and yours, you can take that into consideration before shooting" Chief finished.

Tigress froze, except her aim shook more than a skyscraper in an earthquake. She started to get teary eyed. She slowly loosened her aim. Chief smiled and took a slow step at a time towards Tigress who just simply did not have it in her.

Tigress was full on crying as Chief approached and then took the gun from her hands before holstering it. She then neck chopped Tigress to the floor, taking out a spare pair of handcuffs she carried with her.

"Got my bait, time to go fishing" Chief sternly deadpanned.

PARIS FRANCE 0917 HOURS

Carmen had lunged at Dash who couldn't seem to keep away from the extremely persistent Latina chasing him. She lunged the two of them into an empty janitor's closet. Dash tried to find anything he could to try and subdue Carmen, but every piece of cleaning technology he could literally throw at her was ineffective. Every failure he would be matched by a few punches form Carmen.

Dash fell to his knees. "I give, I give" he coughed. Carmen kicked him in the face and he fell to his back. "What's the matter with you!? We'll get out of here message received! Keep the Mona Lisa!"

This is bigger than the Mona Lisa, Dash" Carmen warned him. She turned to the janitor's cart, where a radio stood atop it. Carmen turned the radio on and turned up the volume, Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana played.

"What are you doing?" a tired and bleeding Dash asked.

"I want information, and I'm not leaving here until I get some" Carmen leaned down. "Who. Is. Marauder?"

"W-what?"

"Don't play dumb. You know who she is because you work together, now who is she?"

"Carmen, I—"

"Who is she!? I want a name!" Carmen commanded. She threw a punch at Dash's face. "Answer me!" Who is she Dash!?"

"I-I can't, I can't—"

Carmen fidgeted but she was out of time and out of patience. She was losing her mind and the only immediate cure was to at least know who this tortuous individual was. She lifted the gun from her pocket as Dash breathed deeply as he eyed it up. Carmen had the gun facing away from him, the barrel resting against the floor.

"You can, and you will. Who is she, Dash? New recruit?"

"You know I won't disclose that. You of all people should know how we do things."

"And that's why I'm prepared to do something drastic to get the information I desire. Just tell me this one thing. Tell me, it's not Julia Argent."

Dash stared completely blankly at Carmen, his expression completely neutral despite being scared out of his mind...

EVERETT WASHINGTON 0035 HOURS

Back at Anthony's, he was nearly passed out and had switched the record to Soundgarden. Julia had whipped Chase's butt in pool for multiple games a that point. Chase still hadn't gotten to the voicemail yet. But after defeat number ten, Chase had had enough humiliation for one evening.

"That's enough for me, Agent Argent. You are better than drunk me at pool, happy?" he slurred, going back to the couch and picking up his phone and flopping on the couch. Julia breathed nervously.

"Wait, we can play some other game? Darts perhaps? Or-or-or foosball?"

"No, I am...too..." Chase paused. Julia looked and saw he was about to listen to the voicemail. "Screw it, it's probably just Chief telling me how much I suck" he dropped the phone and his head turned, he was passed out. Too passed out to even answer Julia's pleas to play more bar games.

She sighed of relief, what luck. She turned to see Anthony passed out in another chair. Julia quickly grabbed Chase's phone, still unlocked and ran into the restroom, closing the door behind her. Black Hole Sun was the song playing.

Julia sat on the toilet and turned the volume down as she played the voicemail, in hopes maybe it wasn't incriminating at all in which case the trip was a waste of time.

"Devineaux! I know you don't want to hear and I don't care but it's Argent, it can't be anyone else! Think about it, who else would have a vendetta against you and Carmen Sandiego? She is the only one in our organization who mutually knows you both well enough. I have more evidence too—I won't go into details but it's staggering. Look, I don't know if there's anyone else from A.C.M.E. she's involved in this scheme just get Zari and Falco and meet me at Argent's apartment. Be ready for a fight if need-be."

Julia breathed a sigh of relief. She happily deleted the voicemail. As she did, she felt something else vibrate, it was her own V.I.L.E. communicator. Brunt was calling her now. Julia gulped and answered the call.

"Coach Brunt?"

"You uh, wanna do some explaining?"

"I-I uh, don't understand what you—"

"Cause somehow your little gal pal got her communicator into the hands of some woman from A.C.M.E."

"Oh no" Julia gasped realizing what that meant.

"Yeah, tell me about it. I got Tigress trying to get a handle on this. Now the rest of the Faculty is not in on this problem but it ain't gon' stay that way if this whole hootenanny goes kabluey!"

"Coach, I swear to you, I will fix this AND I can personally deliver you the Chief of A.C.M.E." Julia promised her.

"How about in addition you throw in the agent chasing Tigress if she hasn't gotten rid of her first."

"No, that IS the Chief of A.C.M.E." Julia explained.

"Really?"

"Yes. I will get back to Seattle and help take care of the problem."

"This better not have been another unsanctioned heist?"

"It's not, just keeping my identity secure—" Julia paused, she was interrupted by another call wanting to join the conversation. It was Tigress's communicator. "Ah, see, probably Tigress telling us some good news already" Julia answered and a split screen revealed Chief.

"There we go, in finally got this split call feature to work. Hello Argent."

"I hear talk you're the Chief of A.C.M.E.? Here I thought you were just some paper pusher" Brunt said.

"And I'm a dang good Chief too, so good in fact I have something to show you" Chief turned the camera to see Tigress chained to an experimentation table inside the room. Chief then turned the camera back to her. "See that? Good. Now pay close attention Argent, it's your lucky day, Tigress here disabled the phone lines, this thing can't make outbound calls except to other V.I.L.E. operatives I guess, and I left mine at your apartment. It's obvious I can't just sneak out of here with her but I promise you if anyone saw her it will attract a police presence. And I will fully cooperate with law enforcement to bring her to justice. Simultaneously, I'm weakened from the fight and running so there's little I can do to get us both out of here, so why don't we just end this like adults, as equals. That's really what you wanted, right? So let's end this once and for all. You want your girlfriend? Come get her. Were at Two Union Square, 47th floor. Take my advice, come heavy or don't come at all. Clock's ticking...Marauder" Chief ended her call, leaving only Brunt and a shocked Julia.

Brunt took a deep breath. "You know what you gotta do, right Lambkins?"

Julia's teary eyes welled up. "Yes, Coach Brunt."

"If it's between you and her, she goes. And other than Tigress, if there are any other witnesses, they go too, understand?"

Julia shakily nodded. She ended the call and looked out with a blank stare. Black Hole Sun continued to play as we fade to black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another one bites the dust gang, thanks for staying with me! Comments and kudos always appreciated!


	12. Distress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this week's thrills and spills: Carmen's run-in with Dash Haber degrades into a near deadly end, but was it worth it? While an inebriated Chase goes on a clandestine quest with Zari to stop their enemies, and speaking of those enemies, Julia braces herself as Marauder goes toe to toe with Chief to save her love: Tigress.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, much violence ahead, you've been warned...

SEATTLE WASHINGTON 0039 HOURS

Agent Zari sat at her desk, still quite perturbed by Chief's very strange and very off-brand phone call...mostly for the specificity of "stupendous" something that seemed quite off to the veteran Zari.

Her brain racked with endless theories as were Chase and Anthony, the only difference was Zari was far more focused than the two of them put together and her current judgment not clouded by copious amounts of lager.

"Stupendous" she said, thinking out loud, eyes glued to her stock photo. Zari reached for her phone and dialed Chief again. This time, the call went to voicemail, as Chief's phone was still sitting on Julia's kitchen table in her now empty apartment.

"You've reached Tamara Fraser, please leave a brief message and—" Zari hung up before the voicemail messenger could finish. An agent knocked on her office door, a regular Jimmy Olsen.

"Agent Connors?" Zari deadpanned.

"I'm not sure how eager you are for a late night firefight but we intercepted a call to Seattle P.D. about someone acting suspicious over in Union Square complex."

"Sounds a bit out of our paygrade" Zari said dismissing him.

"Normally, but the suspect's description is a dead match to the perp you, Falco, and Special Agent Devineaux picked up last night" he explained. "The woman from V.I.L.E."

Zari turned her chair, her interest suddenly piqued. "You're certain?"

"If I wasn't, I wouldn't be here."

Zari paused. "Is she still there?"

"No clue, it was twenty minutes ago, maybe, maybe not."

Zari gave a light nod and a sigh. "Thanks, Agent Connors."

"You don't want me to send a few people over?" he asked.

There was another pause. Zari still didn't know who the A.C.M.E. agent was that was their traitor, not that she didn't have a few ideas, but there were only a few people she trusted, and neither of them were in the building currently. She couldn't risk another mission snafu yet again, especially when they could potentially get Tigress back.

"No, no let Seattle P.D. handle it. If she's ours we'll know if they get her. I don't want to go on a potentially wild goose chase and come up with nothing."

"Right, I get it. I'll get back to work."

"Connors!" Zari called as he was about to walk away. He headed back.

"Yes, Agent Zari?"

"I know we changed the rules a few years ago, who has access to the "old" armory?"

"Um, Chief, obviously. And, all the special agents."

Zari smirked. "Good."

"Anything else?"

"No, thanks you've been very helpful."

He left again, and Zari turned back to her phone.

EVERETT WASHINGTON 0035 HOURS

Julia remained frozen on Anthony's toilet in his pool house. Sure, she had just fought Chief and won previously, but she had nearly lost and only escaped due to Tigress's ingenuity coupled with Julia's minor ant infestation in her kitchen.

Moreover, Julia didn't have it in her to kill Chief, and even despite her dramatic character transformation Julia just didn't have the heart to actually kill anyone...right? But now she was faced with this potentially murderous task.

But, as she sat, Julia's head kept spinning. Her rage was building up. Chief may have been trying to do the right thing but in Julia's eyes she stole HER crush and threatened HER. Julia was becoming torn now. This inner rage of Marauder had really warped her sense of reality. Did she have homicidal intent? Conventional wisdom says no, but there was a part of her that wanted revenge on Carmen, Chase, and now Chief...and what that revenge entailed Julia didn't know, but now she didn't seem so rational in her thinking. She knew all this was brought upon by Tigress, and how much she cared about her, but she also knew she had an identity to protect, and protect it, she would. Her communicator buzzed, it was Coach again.

"Marauder, you still there, hon?" Coach asked.

"Yes."

"Now look, I understand this is a big ask for you, but it has to be done. V.I.L.E. secrets cannot be exposed to the world."

"Do the rest of the Faculty know this?"

"I've told them you've hit a snag but went into no details as far as they're concerned it's situation normal over here."

"So they've voted on it? To murder Chief?"

"That is affirmative. All five. So given that you understand how gravely important this is?"

"I understand. But, w-what if, what if I can capture her?"

"Look, you're nervous, frankly I'd be a bit disturbed if you weren't. The first one is the hardest but it gets easier, I promise you" Brunt assured her.

"But what if I can?" Julia retorted.

Brunt sighed and shrugged. "I mean, if you can guarantee she won't escape then knock yourself out, I take it she hasn't been able to get word out else she might have radioed for help instead of staging a "last stand Alamo style". But bear in mind Lambkins, I've talked to this woman, make no mistake, she seems to have no qualms whatsoever about ending your life."

Julia paused, but eventually nodded. "I will not fail you, Coach Brunt."

"I know you won't. And I'm sorry that I didn't take your side before. I'm always gonna be in your corner. Remember that" Brunt winked before ending the call.

Julia looked down and felt Chase's phone vibrating, it was Zari. Julia got up and hid her communicator. She saw Chase was groggily getting up again. Julia quickly tossed his phone to the floor below him, Chase didn't notice it missing. He looked and saw Zari calling.

"Aw no, this can't be good" Chase fumed, shaking his head to try and wake himself up, huge mistake. "Oh! That made everything worse!" he complained. He answered the phone as hastily looked for her wallet which fell out of her shorts while she was trying to "seduce" Chase. "Hello?" he asked with a stumble in his voice.

"Where are you?" Zari asked.

"Agent Falco's house" Chase slurred.

"How soon can you get back?" she asked.

"Um, half hour, forty minutes maybe?"

"Meet me at HQ the moment you get here. What about Falco?"

Chase turned to Anthony. "He is nearly asleep."

"You can't wake him?"

"Trust me when I say this, he is not going to be able to anything but sit and sleep" Chase deadpanned.

"Fine, but just get here ASAP."

"Uh, sure—"

"And tell no one!" she warned him.

"I will, do not worry" Chase hung up and saw Julia getting close to the door.

"I need to leave" she said. "Give my best to Agent Falco."

"Wait-wait! Are you going back? To Seattle?" Chase asked.

"Yes, of course."

"Um, any chance, Ms. Argent, that you could drive me home?" Chase asked. "I'm not exactly in the best frame of mind to drive myself, right now."

Julia grunted, this was the last thing she needed. "You can't stay here?"

"I, uh, do not want wish to outstay my welcome" Chase retorted, this being a lie.

"I don't suppose your sudden interest in leaving would have anything to do with whatever Agent Zari called you about?"

"Um, she needs my approval on some forms and this cannot wait until morning, they must be faxed out as soon as possible."

This seemed plausible, and would match the admittedly ambiguous words Chase said to Zari, but Julia knew better, she figured A.C.M.E. had gotten wind of something suspicious, and was preparing to investigate the building where Chief was holding Tigress. Chase continued to babble-on with nonsense about the lie needed to get a ride but Julia smirked, maybe this could be the opportunity to capture Chase and Chief, now that Anthony would be out of the way.

"Why of course, "Special" Agent Devineaux, I'd be happy to drive you home."

"Fantastic. Merci, Ms. Argent, let me just tell Anthony goodbye" he said, walking over to where Anthony was sitting. "Anthony? Wake up!" Chase shook Anthony awake.

"Huh, who? Yes, mom?"

"Anthony, I am leaving with Agent Argent, I need you to drive my car to my apartment tomorrow, then I will drive us to work, and then you will take the train home" Chase said shoving his car keys into Anthony's shirt pocket.

"Oh sure, no worries, pal" Anthony said half awake.

"Good. I had a lovely time. Give Irene my regards and blah-blah-blah" Chase said with his usual brand of arrogance before following Julia out. Anthony immediately fell back asleep.

Outside Julia let Chase stumble ahead of her. She watched Chase's gait get increasingly unsteady as he attempted to move. Julia looked at the pool where Chase walked next to. How easily she could push him in and he would be too inebriated and simply drown, or perhaps he could fall, hit his head, fall into the pool and then drown. Julia shook her head, and breathed deeply, trying to put these thoughts away. Her hands shook as they walked out the gate and Julia led the way to her—er, Chief's car down the block.

"Why did you park so far away?" Chase quizzically asked.

"Oh I uh, couldn't find parking" Julia said, realizing in hindsight all that was pointless as she would be driving in Chief's stolen car. Fortunately Chase was far too drunk to really grasp the situation so this worked in Julia's favor.

"At this time of night?" he asked.

"Do you want me to drive you, or ask a million pointless questions?" Julia asked with her newfound sense of confidence.

"Yes, yes of course."

"Then get in" Julia opened up the car, Chase sat shotgun admiring the luxury crossover's elite features. Chief certainly didn't get the stock model.

"Miss Argent, this car is fantastic. I-I-I thought you owned one of those stupid electric cars those hipster kids make their parents buy them?"

"Call it an upgrade."

"Ooh, it's that rich Corinthian leather Ricardo Montalban was always talking about" Chase cooed, rubbing his grubby mits on the leather. "Whatever happened to him?"

"He's been dead for over ten years" Julia deadpanned.

"Oh" Chase awkwardly nodded, buckling up. They got to driving.

PARIS FRANCE 0919 HOURS

Carmen remained in her kneeling position, gun barrel still touching the ground. Dash was stunned to say the least, this was hardly the same Carmen Sandiego who is quick with the puns and fast with the beat-downs. She wasn't one to brandish firearms in an implicitly threatening manner. And this was a FAR CRY from the mischievous prankster Black Sheep from V.I.L.E. Island, she was way too far gone.

"Dash!" Carmen called, redirecting his attention from the gun back to her. "I asked you a question."

"Uh-uh—" Dash stammered, sweat dribbling from his face. "W-Wh-Wh-Wh-Wha-What-Wha-What was the-uh, the question, uh-gain?"

"Who. Is. Marauder?" Carmen retorted. "And please tell me it isn't Julia Argent."

"I-I can't answer those questions."

"Why not?" Carmen demanded.

"I, I won't" Dash said a bit more firmly.

"Oh, you will."

"Carmen, what's gotten into you?" Dash asked. "C'mon, there's no need for this kind of violence, unless there's makeup tutorial TikTok drama."

"You're stalling" Carmen huffed. "It's a simple question, Dash: give me a name."

"I won't tell you."

Carmen paused, her hand tightening on the grip. "That's not wise, Dash. I think it's in your best interest to give me that name."

"Why?" Dash asked, thinking like he could throw in a little white lie, maybe to get Carmen from asking questions about Julia. "She's-she's just some nameless gunsel like the rest of us! Like you!"

Why test Carmen like that? But it certainly made her blood boil. Carmen used her free hand and backhanded Dash across his face. "You—you're asking for it!" Carmen stammered.

Dash half-smirked, that was all the info he needed to know Carmen didn't have the guts to take his life.

But outside, the temperature was about to heat up in the action department. Zack had tied El Topo to a column near their previous encounter. The Mole Man was finally awakened from being sucker punched.

"That should hold ya until the gendar-whatever-they're-calleds show up" Zack shrugged butchering the name of the French police service: the gendarmerie. He leaned against a column opposite El Topo, sliding down to the floor. "Soon we can strike two V.I.L.E. operatives off our list."

"Two?" El Topo asked.

"Well, four I guess, counting Dash Haber and Le Chevre."

"Si-si, but you still missed one."

"Haven't ya heard?" Zack asked rhetorically. "But you're old pal Tigress is about to be forcibly de-V.I.L.E.-tized."

El Topo smirked. Clearly Zack didn't get the memo. "Right, right. Yes of course."

Zack was kind of dumb, but not that dumb. He raised an eyebrow. "I'm sensing there's been some developments since hearing this news?" sounds like a John Mulaney line.

"Perhaps there has...and perhaps there has not."

"You're not in a particularly good position not to tell me things" Zack threatened.

"Or perhaps I am in the perfect position?" El Topo mused, only to realize he really wasn't. "Ugh, I see your point" he sighed.

"Lemme see if I can break this down" Zack began. "You're saying: Tigress somehow escaped A.C.M.E.?"

"I never said that. You said that."

"Ah yes, but you implied that my statement earlier may have been false so I am here hypothesizing a plausible situation based on what you have implicated to me."

"Those were big words" El Topo complimented.

"My sister got me a thesaurus for Christmas."

"Even if you are correct, I cannot divulge V.I.L.E. secrets to an outsider" El Topo elaborated. "What would the Faculty think?"

"They'd probably feed you to Countess Cleo's dogs. How's she doing by the way? Does she talk about me?" Zack asked.

"Si. You are the stupid fake duke who she never wants to see again unless she is melting your face with hot acid."

Zack gulped. "Okay, I shall stay far away from her for the rest of my life."

On the other side of the museum we have Ivy and Le Chevre. Ivy had managed to hogtie the Goat themed villain on the floor. "And now we wait" she sat on the floor by him.

"You so-called heroes are cruel". He deadpanned.

"Sticks and stones" Ivy countered.

"You understand your days are numbered. It won't be long before the Faculty decides you are all expendable enough to be eliminated."

"Wait-wait, time out...you mean there isn't a V.I.L.E.-wide mandate already in place to put us all in an early grave? I am shook-eth."

"Laugh all you want but there will come a time when the fun and games end."

"Right, cause this is a regular game of hide and seek."

"Well you'd better hide once we release Marauder upon you. Then you will stop laughing very quickly" Le Chevre assured her.

"What's up with that one there, huh? She's like if Satan had a granddaughter that he never appreciates."

"She's a very formidable comrade. Doesn't mince too many words. And if I were you—and I'm so glad I am not, I would go off the grid for a while—possibly forever."

"Fat chance. We're not scared of some sociopath with an attitude problem."

"You should be afraid. Very-very afraid."

"Horror movie cliché aside, what's her beef with us anyhow?" Ivy asked.

"Oh, I am not sure" Le Chevre lied, far more eloquent than El Topo. "I just know she is desperate to destroy you all."

Ivy tried to look tough, but all she could do was gulp.

SEATTLE WASHINGTON 0102 HOURS

Inside the building a very small police presence had begun to build on the outside as a few responding police officers were securing the perimeter of the building but not yet going inside of it. Chief sat on a chair in this experimentation room staring at Tigress, still chained to the table.

Chief held her pistol close, looking right at Tigress. "Oh, to be young again" Chief mused. "You're truly a fool to not take this deal, Tigress. Don't be so clouded by love, it's all a bunch of hooey anyway. In the end, they always leave you, and then you come to realize it's all a big nothing, and you die alone in your own arms."

"Thank you, Livia Soprano" Tigress deadpanned.

"Take. My. Deal" Chief hissed. "I can guarantee you will not so much as be in the room next to the jail cells, let alone inside of one. All you have to do is give up everyone you know."

"You know my terms. Meet them and we have a deal" Tigress reminded her.

"I can't."

"You won't!" Tigress snarled. "Julia told me everything! You're the same person you were twenty years ago! Maybe I wouldn't have had to have been tortured in school by Fedora The Explorer if you just let Dexter Wolfe go!"

"Had I done that there wouldn't have been a school" Chief reminded her.

"Okay then you wouldn't be here today having this conversation with me with all our lives on the line! And either way I still wouldn't have had the misfortune of having Carmen Sandiego in my life!"

"Fine. Maybe I am spiteful and maybe I want to watch Argent rot in a prison cell for the rest of her days instead of some suburban house in Scottsdale, but what specifically do you have against Sandiego?"

"Don't change the subject! This is about you!" Tigress stammered, a slight blush creeping on her face.

Chief saw this, and pursed her lips. "You got me, despite my collected and commanding demeanor I have tendencies to devolve into a petty teenager when someone has personally wronged me. And yeah, that's largely why I will not accept Argent being part of the deal—but it's also because whatever good in her I once saw is now dead. Her eyes are soulless. Her demeanor destroyed, her rationale erased. I can't have someone so dangerous like her roaming the streets. To your credit you are far more complicated and more reasonable than I initially pegged you for, but Argent; she's gone...if she was ever really there."

"She's really nice. You people just screwed her up."

"Right, blame us" Chief rolled her eyes. "You still avoided my question though—"

"Will you forget about Carmen-Goody-Two-Shoes already?"

"I'm just saying you seem to have a deep animosity for her. I wouldn't have anything to do with your romantic feelings towards women, would it? I bet it was love at first sight but Carmen wouldn't give you the time of day and it just ate away at you."

"Not a chance" Tigress gritted her teeth, fruitlessly trying to break free of her restraints. "I hated her from hello."

"Would it be because you didn't know how to manifest your feelings in a meaningful way and it just divulged into unbridled rage and unmitigated chagrin?" Chief asked. Tigress didn't answer and only tried to free herself harder. "That's a yes. Don't be ashamed, so you pined for this girl and she rejects you. Life goes on. But who knew one Latina could rile you and Argent up so much. But I guess in the end it'll all be for nothing, and as you and Argent spend your lives staring at the same concrete ceiling you'll remember this, count on it."

Tigress looked off in the distance, hoping and waiting for Julia to come and save her.

SNOHOMISH COUNTY WASHINGTON SAME TIME

Chase and Julia just got on the freeway, heading back towards the city. DLZ by TV on the Radio started to play. Julia felt her rage was at a constant, meshing with her fears and current anxieties. The Faculty wanted her to kill Chief, and she was slowly warming up to the idea as her sanity continued to deteriorate.

The idea being because the longer she stayed with someone who typically makes her angry, such as Chase, the more her rage built. Nevertheless, she was still nervous about the whole affair and had a persona to keep secret.

And then there was trying to gaslight Chase so to confuse him as Julia did some shady things in order to safeguard her identity and needed to take the suspicion off of her. At some point, Chase yawned, he looked over at Julia.

"What's the matter? You do not like me?" he asked.

Julia rolled her eyes. "Whatever do you mean?"

"Since this trip began you have said nothing."

"So say something interesting and I will respond" Julia said. BURN!

"I think we should address the elephant in the car. Why did you kiss me?" Chase asked, slurring all over the place.

"What? What are you talking about?" Julia casually asked.

"What are you talking about?" Chase retorted. "You kissed me."

"I kissed you?" Julia asked with fake surprise.

"Yes! You kissed me!"

"When?"

"On Anthony's couch! In his man cav—pool house! Like twenty minutes ago...or perhaps it was two hours? My sense of time is not so good right now."

"Agent Devineaux I would happily confirm your suspicions, if they were in fact true. We never kissed."

"Yes we did. You-you referred to me as rugged, and-and-and you called my Chase."

"I've never called you by your first name."

"But, but-but...but I remember!"

"Special Agent Devineaux, you are drunk, you are in no position to do much of anything except sleep. We did not kiss, and even if that were to happen organically I'm simply not attracted to you. I am a lesbian."

Chase raised an eyebrow. "But, but I...I rem...I was t...I thought...weren't you dating some guy when we first worked together? Back in the Interpol days?"

"Certainly not" Julia kept her con working.

"Yes, I remember, his name was Francois-something. He um...he worked in...he was a book store clerk—owner—I don't know, but he was a guy."

"Shh-shh-shh" Julia shh-ed him. "You are drunk, this is fine. It happens to the best of us. But we did not kiss, and we never will, it is nothing personal, I am simply not interested in men is all."

A confused Chase slumped in the seat in awe. "Oh, um, you are sure?"

"I am certain" Julia lied. They continued in silence.

PARIS FRANCE 0922 HOURS

Zack grew bored interrogating El Topo and went with his happier demeanor. "You seem like a nice person to go to Disneyland with" Zack said, parroting a similar point El Topo made about him earlier.

"It is funny you say that, I thought the same about you."

"I am a fun person to go to Disneyland with, along with other places where churros and cotton candy are sold."

"I really wish we were on the same side, amigo" El Topo smirked, slowly using one of his claws to saw at the rope that tied him up. "Think of the shenanigans."

"I am a fan of shenanigans, heck, my people invented shenanigans" Zack boasted. "But, twas not meant to be."

"Who knows, it might someday" El Topo cryptically explained, probably hinting at scrambling Zack's brain should he be captured...

Le Chevre needed a different approach to try and get Ivy to untie him or to free himself on his own, considering his situation was much more complicated and Ivy was far more vigilant than her brother, though that's nothing to write home about.

"What is that old expression? Your number is almost up" Le Chevre mused.

"What are ya talking about?" Ivy groaned.

"Did you not think we didn't have Marauder waiting around for such a contingency to occur?"

"You mean she's here? Now?" A suddenly scared Ivy asked.

"Oh yes, she's quite close" he lied.

"That harpie nearly dropped me from a second story balcony! All over some cursed diamond. By the way, how come none of you schmucks are cursed yet?"

"That superstition is proportionately overblown, we are doing quite well as a matter of fact. Our capers have been really successful. I must admit it's all been thanks to Marauder. Who should be getting me out of this jam at any moment."

"Sweet axel grease! She's gonna throw me off the Eiffel Tower, isn't she?" a nervous Ivy asked.

"No, but I like where your head's at. You should run to avoid such a fate" Le Chevre urged her.

"Messaged received, Goat Boy! I'm not gonna let that witch turn me into street-pizza!" Ivy sprinted away—EXCEPT, she stopped in her tracks. Had this've been Zack, he'd be out the door and around the block. But Ivy was a bit different, she pondered: why keep her waiting in the wings? Why not just have her out stealing with everyone else, which is the number one task in V.I.L.E.'s job description. Sensing she would have taken a one way trip to beating-town already, Ivy figured Marauder wasn't there at all. She smirked, made an about face and walked back to Le Chevre, struggling to free himself.

"Alright, call her" Ivy demanded.

"Call whom?" Le Chevre asked stalling.

"Chrissy Teigen. Who the heck do you think? Call Marauder."

"But-but-but, but—"

"Go ahead, call her."

"But, youuuuuuuu said so yourself you didn't want to do battle with her!"

"Yeah and I changed my mind, now, give the nice psycho a call and we can get on with it" Ivy smirked, calling his bluff.

"But I—"

"But she's not here, is she?" Ivy rhetorically asked. "Hey Marauder!? Yo, Marauder!?" Ivy called. "It's your number one fan from Boston! Just wanted to let you know you are the world's lousiest thief! I could rob circles around you! You couldn't even steal a pack a gum from a 7-Eleven!" she taunted Marauder who wasn't there. She turned to Le Chevre, who was frowning. Ivy sat back down on the floor. "You almost had me."

Le Chevre sighed, the jig was up.

Carmen had been with Dash Haber for over ten minutes and her interrogation yielded nothing except Dash stammering. But he could hear the apprehension in Carmen's voice. She didn't want to do him any lasting harm. The gun was probably a prop...

"This isn't funny, Dash! I want you to give me a name!" Carmen demanded trying to hold back tears.

"Fine then, shoot me" Dash encouraged her.

"You're nuts! I'm not just going to shoot you!"

"Well, I'm not going to give up who Marauder is. So, I suppose shooting me is your only recourse, no?" Dash asked.

"Kn-knock it off!" Carmen stammered, her grip shakier than your grandmother's Jell-O.

"Knock what off?" Dash innocently asked.

Carmen sneered. She took a deep breath and steadied her grip. Her eyes dripping in tears. She looked down at the smug Dash Haber, V.I.L.E.'s most opinionated operative in more ways than one. He was a few classes ahead of Carmen at V.I.L.E. Academy, and thus several years older; a personal protégé of Countess Cleo's plucked right from the chorus line and into her "good graces" which amounted to being her errand-boy/assistant. While the work was thankless and often humiliating, Dash still had the ear of a V.I.L.E. faculty member and therefore was to be respected, especially when he didn't deserve it.

Now was certainly one of those many times where Dash deserved nothing more than a swift smack to wipe off that snarky tooth-filled grin of his. Angered for all the reasons you know about by now, Carmen raised the pistol, whipping the barrel across his face. Dash hit the deck, his nose bloodied, a red mark across his mug which would certainly bruise, and a shiner gracing his right eye. Dash looked up at Carmen, who seemed to be in control again.

KING COUNTY WASHINGTON 0124 HOURS

Julia and Chase were approaching the Seattle city limits. The trip had been fairly quiet since their last awkward conversation. Chase thought he was losing his mind. His drunk was improving but he still felt light headed. Not to mention he swore he kissed Julia, but in his current state he wasn't so sure. He sighed, assuming it was another notch in the bedpost of the recent unfortunate events in his life. He kept on admiring Julia's car, even though he was unaware it was actually Chief's!

"Did you get a raise?" Chase asked.

"Not hardly" Julia muttered. "Why do you ask?"

"Nothing, it's just...how did you afford this on your salary?"

Ah, and now Julia really wanted to strangle him, yet; true to her con, she kept up her cool, and merely sighed. "Like I said, it was an upgrade, and that's all you need to know."

"I thought Chief had one just like this?"

"Actually, she is the one who turned me onto the car" well, that's...not quite a lie.

"Well it is a fine automobile, Ms. Argent. Perhaps you are more complex than I give you credit for?"

"Oh, there's more than that, "Special" Agent Devineaux. There's so much you do not know about me" Julia said, starting to snicker.

Chase, drunk and thinking she just told the funniest joke in the world, started to laugh along with her. But where Chase's laugh was jovial and hearty, Julia's laugh was sinister and wicked. She stopped laughing first after Chase was clearly laughing for too long. Eventually he stopped too. "I don't get it, what's the joke?"

"Nothing" Julia rolled her eyes.

Chase looked at his phone, noticing something else he thought he remembered.

"Did I not have a voicemail? From Chief?"

"Hmm? A voicemail?" Julia asked.

"Yes, didn't Chief call me and I missed it, or something? I was looking at it before but I thought it would just be her referring to me as a failure, per her usual. But it is not there."

"It is alright, "Special" Agent Devineaux, you will become somebody someday" Julia said in a very condescending tone, but subtle enough to make it sound like she was trying to encourage Chase.

"But, I remember. Right? Chief called me."

"You are probably paranoid that she will, you said so yourself" the gaslighting continues.

"Sacre bleu! I am losing my mind!" he fumed.

"First this kiss, now a non-existent voicemail? Perhaps you should take some time off, Special Agent. I will take you home, and I...I will give you a sedative."

"Oh no, I am sorry I need you to take me to HQ. Zari is still working late. I uh, have those files, that I mentioned earlier" Chase explained.

Julia groaned. She couldn't possibly drop Chase off at home only to zonk him out now, Zari would be expecting him, and in a place that would make it difficult to kidnap him. Julia sighed, her forced trip back with Chase a total loss.

"Seriously, I...I don't have a voicemail? No missed call, either."

"Like I said, you are drunk, and these things happen" Julia assured him. "You really should go home. Call Agent Zari and explain you are in no condition to work. Surely those files can wait until morning."

"Uh, no. No, I am fine. They just need to sign a few things, this can be done quickly."

"But you are a special agent, Special Agent Devineaux. YOU can tell Zari what to do, not the other way around."

Julia was right. And this was properly stroking Chase's ego. But, he figured this was something pertinent about Marauder, like she was hot on her trail and needed him there to close in on her, which was correct, to an extent. As much as he wanted to take Julia's advice, he knew this was too important to ignore.

"It is fine. Zari needs me" he insisted.

Julia nodded, and continued driving as they got off their exit of the freeway into the city. They were not so far away from A.C.M.E. The two stopped as a yellow light turned red. She tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. She looked over at Chase who was nearly asleep. She kept her eyes on him while Chase glanced down to the floor, noticing her stun gun.

"Oh hey, you left your PX-290 on the floor" Chase said, putting the gun that I just named into Julia's hand.

"Thank you" she said. Julia had grabbed the gun by the grip as Chase still had a hand on it towards the barrel. The two locked eyes. A scene of suspenseful intrigue as Julia grappled with the consequences of kidnapping Chase and make up an excuse for Zari. That way she would double the Faculty's trust in her while saving Tigress and getting two pesky nuisances out of her life.

(I wish this was actually a scene, get a picture of the emotion both these characters are thinking in your head.)

The light turned green, Julia was in the zone, she didn't notice. Chase did.

"Uh, green."

"Hmm?"

"I said: it's green" Chase said a bit stringently.

"Yes, yes of course" Julia snapped out of it, placing the gun in the center console before continuing on, her choice clearly made. She marked it with a sigh. Come Closer by Sleep In is now playing on the radio.

Inside the building, Chief and Tigress had a silent stare down. Tigress decided to go back to her tough persona, which Chief knew was all smokescreen given the tidbits of info she now knew about her...or guessed about her.

"You're lucky these cuffs are strong" Tigress sneered.

"Oh?" Chief asked. "And why's that?"

"Cause if not I'd turn your face inside-out."

"Sounds painful."

"It is."

"Such a shame that's not going to happen, because your gloves will be placed in an evidence locker until the end of time while you—"

"Spend eternity staring at the same concrete ceiling—yada-yada-yada" Tigress condescendingly parroted Chief's earlier threats of her future.

"Is it too late to once again—"

"Yes! God, get this through your head: no Julia, no deal."

"What's the attraction, Tigress?" Chief asked. "Really. She's pretty, but—"

"But what?" Tigress hissed. "She's cute, and smart, and tiny, and she's all mine! Happy!?"

"I appreciate the honesty, yes."

"Then just include Julia and we can walk out of here, I'll talk her down, and we'll rat out V.I.L.E. and spend the rest of our lives managing a cat supplies store in Savannah...or, somewhere else that's sweaty and humid. I have a hunch they'll send us somewhere with a lot of humidity."

"From experience, Wit-Sec prefers colder climates. Can you spell: Saskatoon?"

"I can barely say it" Tigress deadpanned.

"Laugh all you want, but it's the only way you'll be able to have relative freedom."

"I retort: you know my terms" Tigress firmly insisted. Chief facepalmed. "Aw, am I frustrating you?"

"You are lucky I need you alive" Chief sneered. "Where have I heard that one before?" she asked. Tigress snarled at her.

PARIS FRANCE 0930 HOURS

El Topo made slow use of trying to free himself and wanted to be subtle enough for Zack not to notice, and fortunately for him, this was not hard to do as Zack had a streak of obliviousness coursing through his veins like ice water to a Russian.

"What kind of life is this?" Zack asked.

"What do you mean?"

"This, this-this life of stealing things for your own selfish gain?"

"You steal for yourselves" El Topo countered.

"Yes, but we're stealing from you guys. Don't tell me that life isn't stressful."

"It is, but it's so much fun. It's a weird kind of rush" El Topo shrugged. "And V.I.L.E. is a great place to work for. We have fantastic health benefits."

"Carm got us Blue Cross/Blue Shield."

"Forget that, we have 'Viltna'. It's like Aetna, but for villains" El Topo explained. "Dental, medical, and elective surgery. The entitlements are an excellent touch."

"So, if I were interested—which I'm not, what's the policy on V.I.L.E. operatives dating?" Zack asked.

"There are none so long as you produce results."

"I like the sound of those odds" Zack smirked. But he wasn't interested...yet; soon he would have little choice... "Got your eyes on any special person, huh, huh?" Zack asked.

"Well, there uh, was one" El Topo sighed, referring to his one futile effort at winning over Julia's heart, and still not giving up after realizing she probably isn't actually into men, which I shall keep ambiguous for now. "I have no words to express her beauty, and her heart" El Topo said in a telenovela soliloquy voice. "She is perfect in every way possible. She is the world's greatest thief, because she has stolen my heart."

Zack clapped, shedding a single tear. "That's beautiful, man."

"I am in love, with Marauder."

"No way! Crazy Marauder? You're serious?"

"I am completely serious, amigo."

"What's she like?" Zack asked, trying to get one over on him, maybe he'd slip and describe her well enough that maybe Zack could put a name to the face...huh, now that's wicked smaht.

"What is she like? Let me describe her in incredible detail."

"Describe-describe!" Zack urged him.

"She is small—not too small, I'd say petite."

"Yes, yes, yes" Zack urged him.

"Her voice, it's as if a million angels died, sacrificing their voice so she could sound like the world's most delicate siren."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, how bout some facial features?" Zack asked, now with a Steno pad and pencil in hand writing down El Topo's romantic description. "Hair, eye color, it's dark hair, right?"

"Si, her hair, short like a pixie, and dark like a raven."

"Yeah, great. Eye color? Any birthmarks, freckles, c'mon?" he continued while El Topo seemed oblivious.

"Ah yes, three of the most incredible sets of freckles on her—wait a minute! You are using my romantic descriptions to make a composite of Marauder!" he insinuated.

"Nuh-uh, I'm just trying to use what you're saying to make a guesstimate of what I think Marauder to look like!" Zack countered. El Topo stared blankly at him. "That's what...that's what you said, isn't it? Only with smarter words?"

"So much for that thesaurus, and unfortunately for you, my friend, I will not be giving you any more details before I send you to a world of fire and brimstone" El Topo sneered.

"Cleveland?" Zack asked.

"Worse."

El Topo used his claws to cut the remainder of the rope. It fell free and he stood up. Zack gulped.

"This is gonna hurt, isn't it?" he asked, defeated.

"Si."

"Just making sure" Zack sighed before bracing himself as El Topo drop kicked him into the wall before escaping by burrowing through the floor. "No you don't!" Zack called, following him down his newly made hole, fortunately leaving the priceless art behind.

Ivy sat there with Le Chevre who was still hogtied. Ivy sat there smug and amused while Le Chevre sighed hoping someone would come along to help him make a clean getaway. He kept on stalling.

"Boston, huh?" he asked.

"Born and bred."

"Were you sad when that pretty boy left that sports team for Florida?"

"You treat Tom Brady with respect! He is a national treasure!" Ivy scorned him. "I cried for three days!"

Le Chevre rolled his eyes. "You Americans vex me. Why watch a sport where grown men dress in faux armor and pummel one another?"

"Excuse me? Who had to bail France out in not one but two world wars, huh? You're welcome by the way" Ivy smugly explained.

The French thief again rolled his eyes. "I seem to recall Carmen Sandiego bailing you both out multiple times."

"So sorry my brother and I weren't offered invitations to be taught at Evil-Hogwarts. Maybe then the bars would have been more even. It's funny, Boston was actually where we first met. When we busted up your little counterfeit cash operation. By the way, dip-spit, there's a federal death penalty for counterfeiting—I think, so, we did yous a favor" Ivy stated, despite that law being decades outdated.

"Such a shame she had you and your brother waiting in the wings the last time we set foot in your hometown. Perhaps we could have evened the scores, eh?" Le Chevre taunted Ivy.

Now, Ivy was a bit confused. Le Chevre was obviously and innocently referring to Carmen breaking up their Boston scheme six chapters ago, which was something Ivy obviously wasn't aware of, considering that's how Carmen wanted it.

"What are you talking about?" Ivy asked quizzically. "We haven't been back to Southie since we left with Carm that night."

"No, we went back about last week and Carmen—why am I explaining this to you! You know what happened!" he snarled, assuming Ivy and Zack were in Boston but out of the line of fire as they typically are.

"Um bro, do ya not see the confusion on my face, here? I don't know anything about a caper back home. Swear on my mother."

"What? That makes no sense. Why would Carmen sideline you two?"

"I-I don't know. Seriously, she never said anything, why though? What did you dolts do to Boston, huh?" Ivy asked. "Giant meteor? Tidal wave? If you sold the city to New York so help me God, I will—"

"No-no! We were just going to destroy the gas and sewer lines, causing mass hysteria which will cause people and businesses to flee the city and real estate prices to plummet. Leaving us to take over, buy everything at a steal, and halt construction until the city pays our unionized workers who will then pay us" Le Chevre explained.

"Whoo. Let's hear it for the "incorruptible" force of organized labor and deregulated real estate sales" Ivy deadpanned before blowing a raspberry.

"But your boss, she left you home?"

"Left us home? I didn't even know she did anything until you mentioned it. Why would she do that?"

"Why indeed. You should go take that up with her. Right now."

"Fat chance" Ivy crossed her arms, but also knew she was going to confront Carmen about that.

Suddenly, the floor below Le Chevre started to rumble, then it broke through, and Le Chevre fell down the hole, emerging moments later untied with the cause of said hole: El Topo.

"Au revoir!" Le Chevre winked before drop kicking Ivy in the face and the two sprinted down the hall. Zack emerged from the hole moments later.

"Ivy! Did you get 'em?"

"No, but they headed this way. Come on!" the two took off down the hall after them. "By the way, you and I need to talk, later. It's about Carmen" Ivy said. Zack nodded.

Speak of the red devil, Carmen stood and towered over the bruised, bleeding, and bothered Dash Haber. His eyes shifting from Carmen's eyes down to the pistol whose mark now engraved on his face.

"It doesn't have to be like this, Dash. All I want is a name" Carmen begged.

"W-Why? What-w-what good is she to you?"

"It might be personal. I'm not so sure yet."

"Like I said, she's some nameless, faceless number, like the rest of us. Like you!"

"Lies! She knows who I am, and she's making this about me and her. And you're gonna tell me who she is."

"Or what? You'll hit me again?"

"Don't test me."

Dash laid frozen stiff. He glanced down to Carmen's shaky wrist as it shook, almost as if she was raising the gun. Dash went pale. Was this going to be another hit? Or was he about to learn first-hand if the gun was an elaborate prop...or the last image he'll ever see?

"Alright. She is—" But as suspense thrillers often do, Dash's answer was broken by the sound of running outside. Carmen turned to see, and Dash used this as his only real opportunity. He leaped and pushed Carmen out of the way before escaping. Carmen picked up the gun and wisely stashed it back in her coat. She ran out too, seeing Dash getting away following El Topo and Le Chevre, no art in hand. Carmen turned to see Zack and Ivy following behind. "

"Come on!" She called, the now very suspicious twins in tow.

SEATTLE WASHINGTON 0129 HOURS

Julia pulled into the secret A.C.M.E. lot to the official curbside of the unofficial front entrance. She saw Zari staring on the curb by the entrance. Julia pulled up.

"Here's your stop. A.C.M.E. Headquarters."

"Thank you, Miss Argent, what do I owe you?" Chase asked, still drunk and comically assumed Julia was a taxi driver...Travis Bickle, much?

"Um, twenty quid?"

Chase reached into his pocket and pulled out a dollar bill he thought was a twenty, and shoved it into Julia's hand. "Keep the change."

"But, this is five dollars" Julia noted, staring at Lincoln's crumpled up face on the bill. Chase didn't listen and instead got out of the car, Zari walked over and Julia opened up the window as she peaked her head in. "Agent Zari."

"Argent. Nice car. I thought you had one of those stupid electric cars all the hipsters make their parents buy them?"

"That's what I said!" Chase called.

"Q5, huh?" Zari raised an eyebrow.

"I've always admired German engineering" Julia lied.

"Funny, Chief has a Q5. Similar color, too."

"She suggested I buy this car. Best recommendation I've ever had" she smirked.

"You know speaking of Chief, has she gotten a hold of you at all?"

"Whatever do you mean?" Julia asked.

"She called me earlier, sounded strange."

"I know nothing about that" Julia shrugged, which by a technicality was true.

"Hmm. I see. What happened to your face?" Zari asked, continuing her impromptu interrogation.

"I fell—"

"She fell down lots of stairs" Chase retorted before Julia could finish.

"What he said."

"Hmm" Zari then moved her head into the car. "I can't prove it yet, but I will. Mark my words" she warned.

Julia was nervous but knew this was the moment she had to play it off. This convinced her she would see Zari again in the very near future. Which also signaled to her that somehow and some way, Zari had to go...the question was, on whose terms was that gonna be?

"I, don't know what you mean."

"It's alright. One day you will. Not today, not tomorrow, but one day" Zari threatened. "Where you going off to now?"

"That's kind of personal. If you must know I am going home" Julia explained.

"Yeah. I'm sure you are."

"O-kay then" Julia nodded before rolling up the window and driving away.

Zari watched her leave completely before turning to Chase. "Hurry, follow me."

"What is this about?" Chase asked, following her inside as the camera tracks them through HQ.

"I thought I told you not to tell anyone" Zari scolded him, ignoring his earlier question.

"She knows nothing. I told her I had some things to sign that needed to be faxed immediately."

"Not bad, actually" Zari nodded. "So, frst: did Chief call you at all, tonight?" Zari asked.

"I mean, I thought she did. But apparently she did not" Chase shrugged.

"What the heck does that mean?"

"I thought I saw she had called, but once I checked my phone, I was wrong."

"Sounds suspect" Zari pondered. "Would this change have occurred before or after Argent drove you here?"

"Um, I'm not sure. But it was weird, she did just show up to Anthony's house, said she had to tell me something, I don't remember" Chase slurred.

"Uh-huh" Zari crossed her arms as they got in an elevator. "Give me your key card."

"Um, sure" Chase handed her his newly minted A.C.M.E. Special agent's card. Zari swiped it below the switch board and a bell dinged, the elevator went down. Zari handed Chase his card back.

"Listen and listen good: I think Marauder is going to strike tonight."

"How do you know?"

"Seattle P.D. got our Blonde suspect in Union Square Complex, and if she is there, you know who won't be far behind."

"Clever" Chase mused. "So we intercept?"

"Exactly. But I think whatever this is, it involves Chief somehow, like she's in some sort of danger."

"What do you mean?" Chase asked.

"She called me a couple of hours ago. My inbox was full so I called her back, she answered but it was odd. The whole conversation sounded forced, trivial matters, stuff she wouldn't have to have called me first for."

"As if someone was compelling her to act natural?" Chase guessed.

"Exactly, and I doubt it just happened naturally. You haven't worked here long, but has Chief ever used the word "stupendous" to describe anything?"

"No, no. Never."

"Well she did so with me, and then complained my office is poorly decorated; ten years I've worked at A.C.M.E. and Chief has never mentioned how my office looks, not even in passing. And the stupendous thing really threw me off."

"What are thinking, Agent Zari?" Chase asked.

"I think Chief was closing in on Marauder and tried to get a hold of us and was then captured by her, and I think whether she is or isn't her, but I certainly believe Agent Argent is connected somehow. I truly do."

"Oh, not this again! You and Anthony, both!" Chase facepalmed.

"Think about it, Devineaux. You claim there's a voicemail from Chief, Argent gets there and—poof, it vanishes. Suddenly Chief is acting weird and we can't get a hold of her when we certainly believe there to be a traitor amongst us? Marauder wants us to get the heat off of her, and what better way than to make Chief disappear."

"So, what do we do?" Chase asked as the elevator dinged.

"We get to live out your Die Hard fantasies" Zari smirked, for once showing some emotion...which is how you know her days are numbered...

The door opened, and lights automatically turned on in this room. A room that was filled to capacity with weapons new and old with all kinds of old A.C.M.E. tech and enough ammunition to stave off a small army. Chase was moved as he sauntered into the arsenal.

"Sacre bleu! What is this place?"

"Special Agent Devineaux, this is A.C.M.E.'s last resort. This is our old arsenal. We have such weaponry for extreme emergencies, and this certainly counts as one, wouldn't you agree?"

"Absolutely" he smirked.

Zari picked up an MP5 sub-machine gun from a wall of guns. "Then let's go to work."

"Ooh, I want this one!" Chase grabbed a M240 belt fed machine gun, literally the most least practical weapon for their mission.

"No, that's a SAW, it's too cumbersome and this is gonna be close quarters" Zari explained, falling on deaf ears as Chase grabbed a detachable grenade launcher and tried to affix it to below the forward platform of the gun.

"Ooh, and I want a grenade launcher! Now how do you work these?" This is not going to end well.

"No, get a sub-machine gun and pistols. I said were trying for Die Hard, not Rambo" Zari deadpanned.

"But I want the fun stuff" Chase slurred as Zari took the guns away from him like he was a child.

"Devineaux, this is serious we..." Zari stopped, she got a good sniff on Chase, who reeked of beer. "Are you...are you drunk, right now?"

"Um...I'm not—not drunk, right now."

"My God" Zari facepalmed. "Can you even do this?" she scolded him.

"I can't drive, but I can do this."

"Oh my God."

"Agent Zari, Agent Zari, I am kidding. I am fine. Perfectly fine" Chase assured her, trying to sound as sober as possible. "I am coming out of it. I will be fine when we get there."

"No. I can't hand a drunk person fully automatic weapons. I should have my head examined. We'll find another way."

"But do we have time?" Chase asked, now trying to sound really sober.

Zari sighed. Really they didn't, and she did bet that this would work, she sighed, her clout and ego getting the better of her. "You're sure?"

"I am sure."

"You'd better be right. This is for Chief, after all" she said, handing Chase the MP5. Chase smirked.

"Not to worry, when Marauder sees these, she will quake in her boots" Chase looked down the room and saw a target on the wall with a few bullet holes in it. Chase shakily aimed the gun at the target. "Yippie-ki-yay, motherfu—" Chase said, but we shall cut him off because language.

We immediately cut from the barrel of the gun to a close-up on Julia's face as she frantically drives through Seattle towards home. (That would be a fantastic edit). Julia parked in the underground lot below her apartment building. She had a tandem spot, and parked in the forward spot while her Yaris sat in the back. An upgrade indeed. Julia took a moment to gaze upon the car she enjoyed in her past life but now saw greener pastures on the horizon, and the streets were paved in grand larceny.

She ran up to her apartment, which as she suspected was a mess, even more so when she left it. The sea bass was on the floor, smeared, the potatoes were burnt on the outside and shoe leather on the inside, and the salad was droopy and room temperature. Julia ran into her room, the bed messy from all the love making she had with Tigress. Julia turned to her nightstand, now adorned with the Fabergé egg Tigress stole for her as a gift atop it. Julia put on a determined look and turned on her iHome while she got out her Marauder outfit. Tyler by Toadies was the song playing. And Julia didn't care, she turned the volume up, because the kind of person she was now. She made her own rules. She got dressed in her attire, keeping her mask up she caressed the egg on the nightstand. "I am coming, my tiger" Julia mused.

Julia applied some makeup to hide her wounds and help guarantee her identity remained secret, though this was slowly becoming an impossible task. On her bed was the communicator, a call was coming through. This time, it was Countess Cleo. "Countess" Julia greeted.

"Coach Brunt informed us of a...snag, you and Tigress were experiencing?"

"I am handling it. Tonight, I will deliver to V.I.L.E. the Chief of A.C.M.E."

"That's a tall task, Marauder."

"I have sworn not to fail you. Chief will be our prisoner, and Tigress will be free."

"You are about to do the unthinkable. We have never ventured into such territory before. Kidnapping or killing the leader of an espionage organization? It'll be a V.I.L.E. first."

"And I promise to deliver" Julia smirked, before putting her mask down, her Marauder voice taking over. "That's why you chose me."

"I see there is an ego deep down there" Cleo smiled.

"It just needed the right opportunity. Though, I am certain this will break Coach Brunt's heart but I doubt I will be able to deliver Chase Devineaux as well."

"But-but-but-but-but...but, Tall, French, and Handsome" Brunt pouted in the background, her hair still in curlers.

"Why not call that hunk who used to work for Cookie?" Cleo asked. "Vincent—something?"

"Oh sure, easy for you to say! Men just flock to you, only NFL linemen are interested in me!" Brunt scorned, walking away from view.

"Anyway, the cleaners will arrive on the roof shortly and they'll fly you there" Cleo explained.

"Excellent, thank you, Countess" Marauder nodded.

"Now go rescue your girlfriend" Cleo smiled.

Marauder blushed. "Um, well, we are friends, and we are—"

"Oh hush, Marauder. I wasn't born yesterday" she winked. "Make an honest woman out of her. Lord knows she needs it" Cleo said before ending the call. Marauder looked off in the distance, she was ready.

PARIS FRANCE 0943 HOURS

The gang sprinted through the museum, ironically passing the Joan of Arc armor Carmen stole back from chapter two. They ran outside, everyone splitting up. First, we'll go to the twins, who were quick to find one another after El Topo and Le Chevre also found themselves.

"We gotta corner them!" Zack called.

They chased the pair through the streets and down the Champs-Elysees, the main thoroughfare through the city. It didn't take long for the pair to "appropriate" a vehicle—oh who am I kidding, they jacked some guy's car. Zack and Ivy stood knowing what they had to do. Zack called Player.

"Player, we need wheels, make 'em fast!"

"Done and done. I got your location pinned down" Player said over com. On cue, a Maserati Granturismo pulled up to the two of them. "It's remote controlled, buuuuuuut something tells me you'd prefer to do this the manual way."

"You thought right, my friend! And thanks!" Zack jumped in the drivers' seat, and Ivy sat shotgun. Zack turned on the radio, Ready, Steady, Go by Paul Oakenfold began to play. They sped down the avenue, chasing their suspects. Player remained on the touchscreen on the center console but in the upper right corner while the screen contained a map tracking El Topo and Le Chevre, but also Carmen and Dash in their own foot chase.

"So Player, maybe you can shed some light on this thing" Ivy began.

"What thing?" Player asked.

"Yeah, what?" Zack added.

"Le Chevre. He was saying something like: Carm went to Boston last week, or something?"

Player's eyes lit up, as he was the only other person from team Carmen who knew about that little caper.

"Oh, um, I don't know anything about that."

"Player" Ivy crossed her arms.

Before Player could answer, they were interrupted by Zack making a wicked turnout to follow the two villains as they passed the roundabout where the Arc de Triomphe stood. Now back in the car.

"Alright, spill. What's Goat Boy yammering about?" Ivy demanded.

"I really don't know what you mean."

"You're a great hacker, Player. Bad liar, though" Ivy scolded him. "Come on, I shouldn't have to hear things for the first time from our enemies."

Player sighed, he wasn't just going to get out of this one, and he can't fake the bad reception bit, that would be too obvious. "Last week, after the Smithsonian, V.I.L.E. was planning on some major chaos on Boston. Carmen was gonna call you guys but she wanted to go on her own."

"What the heck! Ivy and I know that city like the back of our hand!" Zack complained, driving recklessly.

"Why'd leave us behind? Just because we went out for dinner?"

"It wasn't she intentionally left you behind, but..." Player trailed.

"But what, Player?" Ivy demanded.

"She took some of the money to pay off your debt to Shark Head Eddie."

"WHAT!?" the twins shouted in unison.

"So that's really where that dough went" Ivy realized.

"And Carmen survived?" a bewildered Zack asked.

"Eddie has killed people for waaaaay waaaaaaaay less than skipping out on his debts!" Ivy added. "Why'd she go it alone?"

"More importantly, why go at all? We were gonna pay him back!" Zack complained.

"She thought you guys wouldn't have a reason to be on the team if your debt was paid, and she wanted to do something nice for you two. She's been feeling kind of crummy lately" Player explained.

"I can't believe this! Did she really think we couldn't do this by ourselves?" Ivy asked...not the reaction Carmen wanted.

"Yeah! It's like she thinks were little kids or something—oh, no offense" Zack said to Player.

"She wanted to do something nice for you."

"We have a whole fleet of cars thanks to her! She's done plenty" Ivy scolded.

"Yeah, that was one debt we wanted to do ourselves. We made our bed and we knew someday we'd have to lay in it" Zack complained, taking his eyes off the road as he verged in a small alleyway after them. "Is that really what Carm thinks of us? That we can't do anything for ourselves, that we-we-we're just a bunch of absent minded child—"

"ZACK LOOK OUT!"

"Huh!?"

Zack put his eyes on the alley and slammed on the brakes after the alley split into a four way and from another alley, a garbage truck backed up in the way trying to get to a dumpster. El Topo and Le Chevre had already zipped ahead.

Unfortunately, Zack broke too late and the fancy sports car crashed into the truck, totaling the car and slamming Zack and Ivy into the airbags. The twins nearly seemed down for the count as the screen was also destroyed, Player was still broadcasting, but there was occasional static.

"Guys? Zack, Ivy!?"

From behind, El Topo and Le Chevre looped around and got out of their car, approaching both sides of Zack and Ivy. El Topo used his claws like jaws of life to tear the doors off. "Oh my gosh, Mister, madam are you two okay in there?" El Topo mocked them.

"We should get you both to a hospital...or something" Le Chevre added.

"'Or something' sounds pretty good to me, amigo" El Topo smirked, as Zack barely got a curse in before passing out.

SEATTLE WASHINGTON 0151 HOURS

Now in the V.I.L.E. chopper Julia flew to the top of Second Union Square where Chief was holding Tigress. The Cleaners flew the bird and landed on the roof's helipad. The building was tall enough that nobody on the ground would notice the usually quiet helicopter land anyhow.

Julia got a call from Coach, now with curly hair. She was joined by Cleo.

"The Cleaners will provide you with the getaway you need" Brunt began.

"Make sure nobody knows anything about us, other than your Chief" Cleo continued. "And if you encounter somebody that doesn't belong..." Cleo said before making the throat cutting gesture.

"And if you can't bring along Chief-y, make it look like an accident, and head on home" Brunt finished.

"Yes, of course" Marauder nodded.

"Good luck, Kiddo, we'll be waiting for you" Brunt said before ending the transmission. Marauder gave the Cleaners a nod and headed onto the top of the building, floor 47 on her mind.

Downstairs, Zari and Chase just arrived, sporting their usual attire but now outfitted with MP5 sub-machine guns and Sig Sauer P226 pistols. Each wore a bullet proof vest outside their shirt, but covered by their jackets.

"Clear a path!" Chase ordered as they used their authority to strong arm their way past the small police barricade. The two entered the building where four Seattle Police Officers stood, ready to clear the floors. "Start on the bottom floors, secure the perimeter, nobody gets in or out!"

"What is this? Who are you two?" A sergeant asked.

"Way beyond your jurisdiction. Now do as he says!" Zari commanded. The cowed officers didn't want any trouble and complied as she and Chase seemed official. But that's all the luck the two A.C.M.E. agents would be afforded. They entered the elevator, Zari pressed the 47th floor.

"Janitor says he thinks they went to the 47th floor, but just in case, Seattle P.D. should go floor by floor, as per protocol."

"Right" Chase agreed. He took off his blazer and the vest. Zari raised an eyebrow as she saw Chase strip in front of her.

"What are you doing?"

"Like you said: Living out my Die Hard fantasies" Chase winked, now in his tank top and pants.

"You'd better keep your shoes on" Zari warned

"But John McClane didn't have shoes."

"John McClane had to leave without his shoes in a rush! And besides, he is a fictional character" Zari sighed. "Act right, this is serious business!"

"Hey, you gave automatic weapons to a drunk guy" Chase reminded her.

"And I'm really regretting it" Zari facepalmed.

"Do not worry Agent Zari I am—(burp)—ooh, fine" Chase burped, and it wasn't a good burp.

Inside the room, Chief and Tigress were waiting impatiently at this point, and both were desperate to pass the time.

"So like, what's going to happen?" Tigress asked, rather solemnly.

"What do you mean?"

"I've told you I will not take the deal, so let's say you win, what's gonna happen, how does it all work?"

"Well, it may surprise you to know, I've never been to prison before. But I have heard stories, and none of them pleasant. But, I can walk you through the procedure" Chief promised. "First, you will be led out of here in handcuffs out the back so no one can see you, then you will be loaded into the back of a van driven by an A.C.M.E. operative to an undisclosed location which is where we keep our holding facility for at-risk and flight-risk suspects where you will be held without bail until your trial, where your only contact to the outside world will be your lawyer who I can only guess is going to be a public defender. From memory, I believe the cells are nine by nine. Then I can guarantee a guilty verdict with a combined sentence of no less than fifty years, and you will have to BEG the judge for parole in twenty-five. You will be remanded to the Federal Bureau of Prisons and probably sent to the maximum security women's facility in Chowchilla, California. But I believe there's another facility in West Texas and another near Terra Haute, Indiana. So take your pick" Chief finished. "Again, you can—"

"No Julia, no deal" Tigress sounded like a broken record."

"It's the accent, isn't it?"

Tigress blushed. "It's adorable the way she says some words. Like "fortnight" I thought that was just some stupid video game my little sister is into. She calls me her tiger—Julia does, not my sister. It's really cute."

"You are aware your loyalty to her is going to cost you your freedom. It's not like you two will be cellmates, let alone be in the same prison. Come on Tigress, be smart. You don't need this violence, it'll consume you. It's too late for me, it doesn't have to be for you."

Tigress recoiled for a moment. The supposedly staunchly obedient V.I.L.E. operative actually would have taken Chief's deal, despite her deeds for the organization...but it was really Julia she wanted to be with, regardless of circumstance.

"You don't understand" Tigress huffed, near to tears. "I think I love her. I could never betray her. Not like that."

Chief sighed, frustratingly rubbing her temples. "Tigress—"

"Look, you don't have to believe in love or whatever, you may think it's all just a scam but it didn't work out for you, and I'm sorry your husband didn't have the patience for your career but that doesn't mean I feel the way I do! I love Julia Argent, and I'm going anywhere without her" she teared up, and that'll be the most touching moment Tigress will probably have.

Before Chief could rebut they heard a door open and close from down the other side of the floor. The two froze, looking at one another momentarily. They didn't hear footsteps or noise, this wasn't the police.

"She's heeeeeeeeeeeeeere" Tigress mused in a sinisterly sing-song voice.

Chief readied her gun. "Was that supposed to scare me?" Chief spat before walking out into the darkened hallway.

Chief raised her pistol and slowly advanced down the hall towards the other side of the floor where the stairs and elevators resided. The office floor was two main hallways parallel with one another with intersections connecting them. Offices and experimentation labs were on all sides of it.

"I know you're there, Argent!" Chief yelled, no answer. "You weren't exactly subtle!" More silence. Chief continued. "You know, this is actually a fairly romantic gesture!" Chief taunted her some more to try to lure her out. "The brave knight in shining armor coming to the tower to rescue the princess in peril from the evil dragon holding her. Classic damsel in distress with a lesbian twist!" Chief continued her lines of attack but there was no response.

Marauder was wall crawling along a different hallway, ready and willing to do what she had to. She then heard the elevator ding from behind her, and took better cover, when they opened up, it revealed a heavily armed Chase and Zari.

"Of course" Marauder sigh-whispered. Just what she needed, more flies in the ointment.

Chase had put his jacket back on...and kept his shoes on. He and Zari walked slowly down the hall, machine guns drawn.

"Stay close, and watch your back" Zari urged him.

"Copy that" Chase nodded, shaking his head, his drunk dissipating but still there.

Marauder saw them form down the hall and took off, her shadowy silhouette in their view.

"Hey!"

"There she is!" Zari shouted, the two of them opening fire as they gave chase.

From on the other side of the building, Chief heard the gunfire. "That's not good" she whispered to herself.

Marauder ran into one of the offices separating the hallways. Zari rushed in first, no one was there. Marauder then ran through the office, shooting from her laser wrist, but missing while Zari fired back, neither achieving success. Chase came in after her.

They ran into an adjoining office, continuing to fire, but Marauder jumped out of the way in time and behind a desk.

"Reload!" Chase ordered, the two simultaneously and quickly reloading their weapons.

"Come out, Marauder!" Zari ordered, slapping the action back into place after shoving a fresh magazine into her gun.

"I see they've sent A.C.M.E.'s finest" Marauder taunted them from behind cover. "You should get better recruits!"

Zari fired her gun at the desk while Marauder laid flat on the floor for more protection. "Surround her!" Chase ordered.

"Who taught you both how to shoot?" Marauder asked. "A toddler?"

The two jolted to the other side of the desk, but suddenly—gasp! Marauder wasn't there! "How did she...?" Zari trailed.

Out of nowhere, Marauder came out of the woodwork and kicked Chase into a wall. While Zari tried to shoot, Marauder flipped and kicked the desk into Zari, trapping her between the desk and the wall. Marauder then ran into the hallway, Chase following her out.

"Quickly! Keep up!" he yelled.

"Devineaux!" Zari tried to free herself, but Chase was already gone. When she did get free she ran into the hallway, but no one was around. From above Zari in a ventilation duct we see Marauder looking down from inside the vent. She smirked, now with the upper hand once more.

Tigress was desperately trying to free herself, but again, this was to no avail. She suddenly heard footsteps. She held her breath, she heard the gunshots and assumed the two had found one another. She was afraid Chief would return and report that she had killed Julia. A face appeared above Tigress, it was Marauder.

"Boo" she quipped.

Tigress blushed. "You're alive! You found me!"

"Wasn't so hard" Julia winked, taking out the universal handcuff key from her cuffs and unlocked Tigress, the two immediately embraced.

"My knight in white satin armor" The blonde blushed.

"Were not free yet. At least now you can defend yourself" Marauder handed Tigress the Crackle Rod she carried with her. "When I knock out Chief I'll come for you, the Cleaners have the chopper waiting on the roof. We won't have much time before the police sweep this floor."

"Right" Tigress smirked. Julia was about to take off but Tigress grabbed her by the wrist. "Hey, good luck."

"Who needs luck? I have you" she blew Tigress another kiss and the two blushed. Marauder took off, jumping up and into another vent duct.

Chase Devineaux had tried to clear a few more offices, and just Marauder's luck, she past a duct right above where he was searching. Marauder smirked, her horoscope did say she would get revenge today.

Chase looked about the office, there was nothing out of the ordinary and he had searched twice now. He was about to leave when the duct opened up and Marauder came down, nearly on top of him. Chase aimed his gun but Marauder grabbed it by the barrel and swatted it out of Chase's hands. She then kicked him away.

"Finally! We face each other once again!" Chase snarled, not being as afraid as he should have been.

"That'll be a fatal error, Devineaux" Marauder sneered.

"I've improved since our last encounter."

"Ha-ha-ha-ha" Marauder snickered. "No, you haven't" She then made a kick lunge.

Outside in the hallway, Chief was walking through the hall and heard the commotion. She sneaked along to an office next door, thinking that was the one, but it wasn't. It was a room with servers and other technological devices in a central hub. Chief looked to her left, some loose Fiber optic cables were sitting around. She narrowed her eyes, putting her pistol away.

Inside, Chase had gotten a few combinations on Marauder, who flip-kicked him right in the face, knocking him into a wall.

"You're pathetic!" she fumed.

"I am not!" Chase angrily threw some ill-fated punches, which Marauder easily dodged. She sucker punched him when his arm was fully extended.

"You're sure about that!?"

Chase got to his feet, wiping some blood away, he reached for his pistol but Marauder kicked him again. "Gah!"

"You are no secret agent, Devineaux. You're a disgrace!" she taunted him. "You were never anything but some egotistical, misogynistic, waste-of-time!" She kicked him in the face when he was down. Chase tried to get to his feet, getting a couple of punches on Marauder, but again, when he extended she grabbed him by the arm and threw him down.

"I am not a waste of time!" Devineaux coughed.

"Yes you are! You are a loser! You think with your fists and get rewarded for it!" She kicked him again in the face.

"But—"

"All that burning the midnight oil, all for what? Another promotion you don't deserve! It should have been me!" she kicked him again. A bleeding Chase tried to crawl away.

"I deserved...what I got" Chase wheezed, clutching his side.

"You deserve nothing" Marauder coldly said. "You are no secret agent, you're not even a detective. You're just some paper-pushing, loud talking, jerk. Getting rid of you would be doing the world a favor, at least there will be some car hoods still intact."

"You know about that, huh?" a wounded Chase asked.

"Among other things. I am your worst nightmare come true Chase Devineaux, and you will show me the respect I deserve. And you will do that because you are nothing, while I am the superior one! You are nothing but a failure and that's all you'll ever amount to!" She gave Chase one more kick to the gut.

Chase couldn't rebut, he was going to be sick. He crawled to a nearby waste basket and shoved his head over it before throwing up some residual fajitas and beer. Chase coughed and vomited into the can. Tears streamed down his face. He felt woozy, like he was going to pass out. He looked up at Marauder towering over him before he felt light-headed and fell on his back, completely passed out.

Marauder was about to approach when she heard something. She turned her head and nothing was there. She looked back at Chase and took another step forward but this time something came over her head and wrapped itself around her neck. Marauder tried to grab onto this wire-like thing, it was the fiber optic cables, and Chief was holding onto them, trying to garrote Marauder while she was right behind her, able to whisper in her ear.

"Hello, traitor" Chief taunted her. Marauder choked, trying to get Chief off of her, but Chief was using all her strength. "It's a shame your little girlfriend has to go down for this, I tried to give her a deal, but she wouldn't go without you."

Awwwww. Tigress wouldn't have freedom without her? Marauder teared up underneath her mask as she choked up a few gasps of air.

"You should've surrendered when you had the chance, Argent. Now it's all over. For what it's worth, or it may please you to know: I was going to promote you. My how the mighty have fallen" Chief tightened her grip. "And now you get nothing."

Marauder made a few more gasps as she could feel the room spinning. With every last bit of strength she had Marauder threw her weight behind her, knocking Chief over. Marauder rolled off of her, throwing the wire off her neck and taking a few much needed breaths of air. Chief was trying to get up but Marauder ran to give her one swift kick to the face, knocking her out immediately. Marauder's breathed normalized and she looked down at the two knocked out secret agents in front of her. She could take them both, but knew deep down Chief was more valuable as a hostage, and couldn't risk getting caught trying to finagle two stiffs to the helicopter, besides, she had plans for Chase, it wasn't enough to break his spirit, and being a V.I.L.E. puppet was too good for him.

But while she pondered this, she heard footsteps pass the office outside. Marauder peeked her head out and saw Zari still searching. Marauder ducked her head in. She looked down at Chase, body covered in blood and vomit. "You're not even worth kidnapping, that's how worthless you are" she taunted him. She jumped into the vent duct, and crawled back to Tigress.

PARIS FRANCE 1009 HOURS

We'll wrap up the Paris saga...or is it only beginning? Carmen chased Dash through every street and alleyway that she could find. Dash proved to be a good runner, but he didn't have Carmen's stamina, much less her determination.

"You won't catch me, Carmen!" he shouted

Carmen tried a different approach, taking the high road. She climbed onto the roof of a building and followed Dash from atop the roofs, making it easier to get to him. The two continued their thrilling parkour chase through the streets of Paris.

Carmen got a few buildings ahead of Dash, and by the time he knew anything, he didn't see Carmen anywhere. After looking frantically through the alley he sighed of relief, he had evaded her, or so he thought.

"Lost her. Hmm-hmm-hmm, I knew she wasn't so tough."

Dash continued to cross a street and walked into another alleyway, this one led to the pathway along the river Seine. He was about to get out his communicator, the monocle thing, in order to see where everyone else was at. Bur before he could, he was kicked over, it was Carmen.

"Crud!"

"I'm not playing around, Dash! Give me a name! And then you're coming with me!"

"I don't even have the option to escape?"

"That ship sailed, final notice time" Carmen threatened.

"What does she mean to you, huh? You betrayed us! Every V.I.L.E. operative wants a piece of you, why does this one make a difference!?"

"That's not your concern. You want to know what is? Telling me her name!"

"Never!"

Dash stood up and tried to run, but Carmen was too quick. She accosted him. Dash reached inside her coat for her gun but Carmen grabbed it first and the two wrestled for it as they got closer to the edge of the alley, which ended in some stairs leading down to a pathway right next to the river. The two got their fingers over the trigger, and just as the gun was under Dash's arm—BAM!

The two froze for a moment, eyes wide. They slowly backed away, Dash's finger was directly on the trigger, and he had accidentally fired, the bullet hitting him directly in the right arm. As blood pouted out, he screamed.

"AHHHHHHH!"

He threw a punch on Carmen, but she punched back with her free hand, and the two tripped, falling down the steps onto the path next to the river. Carmen hit her face pretty hard, she was in shock at what she saw.

Dash's monocle communicator finally got through, Countess Cleo was online. "Dash honey, how goes the heist?"

"I've been shot!" he yelled.

"Wait, what? What do you mean shot?"

"There's a bullet in my right elbow! That kind of shot!"

"What in the world—how did this happen? Are you alright?"

"Of course I'm not alright! Ruined my good jacket, too!"

"Who did this!?" Cleo demanded.

"Who do you think?" a weakened Dash asked. "Sandiego!" He looked at his wound. "Oh, that's a lot of blood" Dash passed out on the ground.

"Dash! Dash!" Cleo shouted.

Carmen got out her communicator, she could barely move, too much in shock of what happened. She got through to Player.

"Red!? I finally got a hold of you! Zack and Ivy—Red? Are you okay?" he asked frantically trying to explain Zack and Ivy's capture to her only to see Carmen was in her own predicament.

"Help...me" she wheezed, nearly passed out herself. The camera pans up and we see the two of them laying on the pathway near feet from the babbling Seine river right next to them.

BATTLE CREEK MICHIGAN 0430 HOURS

Coach Brunt was now joined by Dr. Bellum, the two had gotten word from The Cleaners that Tigress was freed and Chief was captured.

"Cleo! We have fantastic news" Bellum happily stated.

"The girls got us The Chief of A.C.M.E." Brunt answered. "The Chief!"

"I wish I had fantastic news to share!" she sneered.

"What do you mean?" Bellum asked.

"Haber's been shot."

Both women's eyes went wide. "What? By Who?"

"Who do you think?" Cleo sarcastically asked.

"Is he still with us?" Brunt asked.

"He'll live, but he's in a bit of trouble."

"Little Black Sheep's becoming a pretty big problem, isn't she?" Brunt sinisterly asked.

"Too big" Cleo crossed her arms. "This crosses a line. Proper reprisals must be handed down for this outrage!"

"I'd have to agree" Bellum nodded.

"So, why don't we vote right now. I doubt Gun and Roundabout will contest...I think it's high time we permanently liquidate V.I.L.E.'s number one headache" Brunt raised her hand, quickly followed by Bellum and a vengeful Cleo... "Majority rules."

SEATTLE WASHINGTON 0233 HOURS

On the roof, Tigress and Marauder had chained Chief into a seat on the chopper. She was barely conscious. The burlap sacks of shrunken gold sat next to her. Marauder had Chief's gun in her belt. "Think we have time for Devineaux and the other one?" Tigress asked.

"Maybe Devineaux, he's still knocked, but we won't have much time" Marauder warned. The two went back to the roof, Vlad, one of the cleaners yelled. "Ms. Marauder, Ms. Tigress! We have to move!"

"We'll be right back!" Tigress called as they went down the stairs.

They found their way on the landing right on the 47th floor. Tigress stopped Marauder. "Thanks again, for saving me."

"Come now, Sheena" Marauder pulled her in. "What did you think I was going to do? I could never leave you behind. You know if I am the knight, this does make you my princess."

Tigress blushed. The two embraced with a kiss.

Outside in the hall, Zari heard the commotion as she was making her way back to the steps after her search yielded nothing. She didn't find Chase and she avoided Marauder and Tigress sneak Chief out to the roof.

She checked her gun and took out the magazine as she walked into the stairwell. Mid reload she was immediately bombarded by the kissing villains, who immediately snapped into action, Marauder taking out the pistol and aiming it at Zari.

"Don't move!" she demanded. Zari froze, empty gun in one hand, and full magazine in the other. "Drop them! Now!"

Zari sighed, doing as she was told, hands were in the air. Tigress looked at Marauder, her finger dancing around the trigger, now far more determined than she was even a few hours ago. Tigress remembered her conversations with Chief about death, she didn't want this hanging over Marauder's head.

"Don't! Come on, we should just go!" Tigress urged her.

"You're right" Marauder sighed, kicking Zari's gun down the next flight of stairs. "She isn't worth it anyhow."

The two backed up the stairs. Zari narrowed her eyes as she and Marauder locked their peepers. Feeling trapped, and figuring she needed a little victory she smirked. "If you really wanted an upgrade, you should have bought the i8. Much more sporty. The Q5 doesn't have nearly that kind of gravitas" Zari taunted Marauder implicitly implying her to be Julia.

Marauder's hand shook, she holstered the gun and grabbed the Crackle Rod from Tigress, turning the dial to HEAVY STUN she blasted Zari, kicking her into the wall, knocking her out cold.

"She will wake up...eventually" Marauder chuckled. They heard the elevator doors open nearby and footsteps emerged onto the floor, voices shouted:

"Seattle Police Department!"

"Everybody get down on the floor!"

"Come on, forget them, we have to go!" Tigress insisted.

"But—"

"If we don't, we'll both be in jail! Come on!" Tigress grabbed Julia by the wrist and they ran up the stairs as two police officers came up the stairs following their other comrades. The two jumped into the helicopter and the Cleaners punched it, making a clean getaway. Marauder flipped up her mask.

"Are you alright?" Julia asked Tigress.

"Oh me, I'm fine" Tigress lied. In fact she felt uneasy about how the evening was unfolding. "You?"

"Oh, perfectly fine" Julia also lied, mostly due to the fact she'd have to somehow explain that she kissed Chase as that fact was hanging over her head now. She got a call over her communicator. It was Brunt.

"You got away?"

"Almost too easy" Julia nodded.

"Good. I hate to do this to you, kiddo, but you're elite services are desperately needed. We have a little problem in Paris. I'm dispatching you and Paper Star to take care of it."

Julia frowned, not just that Tigress won't be there, but Paper Star would be. "What is the problem?" Julia asked.

"You two got a rescue and extraction to make...and a special little assignment" We now get a close-up on Brunt. "I need you to make our Carmen Sandiego problem go away. Real permanent-like..."

Julia stared off in the distance, at first apprehensive, but slowly a smirk grew on her face... Nights in White Satin (The night version) by The Moody Blues plays as the credits roll. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wa-hoo! Three more chapters to go everyone, and it only gets crazier from there! Comments and kudos always appreciated!


	13. Amoureux Fous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carmen and Dash have a heart to heart about some possible deeper problems Carmen's currently experiencing while also having a moment with Shadowsan who was dispatched to help her while Shadowsan has another run-in with Marauder who finds closure with her spat with Paper Star, and Zack & Ivy's relationship with Carmen deteriorates as A.C.M.E. closes in on Carmen's charitable interests with Chase Devineaux having second thoughts about being a secret agent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you ever wondered what would happen if Vincent Hanna from the film "Heat" and Soos from "Gravity Falls" had a conversation, well, I suppose I'll make that dream a reality for you today!

PARIS FRANCE 1017 HOURS

A bruised, bedraggled, and bleeding Carmen had recently disconnected with Player. She was slow to get to her feet as Dash had passed out from seeing so much blood. She rubbed her head, her fedora had fallen off. She threw it back on and quickly picked up her fallen things. She looked over to the steps, the left over brass from the bullet had rolled down a few steps. Carmen pocketed the evidence and turned to Dash. If left untreated he could succumb to blood loss.

She sighed, a part of her wanted to leave Dash to face the music, but Carmen knew she was better than that...right? Besides, she remembered her talk about forgiveness and right now she needed some from Dash. She put her hands under his arms and started to drag him as police sirens began to draw closer. She had a few ideas of where she could hide out.

SKIES OVER LAKE MICHIGAN 0444 HOURS

The Cleaners had the chopper picked up in one of their many fleets of cargo planes with a fuselage big enough to store it. Chief was still passed out and tied to a chair while Julia sat idly, staring off into space knowing what her new mission entailed.

Did she want to kill Carmen? She had thought the Faculty wanted her to return so she could be given one of Dr. Bellum's famous lobotomies and then forced to become a puppet for the very organization she sought to destroy. But I guess that ship sailed.

It seemed so undignified. She could have looked at Carmen as a soulless thief every day of her life but instead she will be her demise. But there was an order, and there was no way Julia's sweet talking with The Faculty could change that now...right?

Her train of thought was interrupted by Tigress coming towards the back of the fuselage with two lattes in hand. Julia smiled and blushed as she took the coffee. Tigress sat in the jump seat next to her.

"You're so sweet" Julia cooed, leaning on Tigress and nuzzling up on her shoulder.

"I'm okay" Tigress sighed. "I feel like, I dunno, you're always rescuing me and stuff."

"But you've rescued me, my tiger" Julia said, leaning up and cupping Tigress's chin. "This night, stressful though it was, gave me the biggest rush of my life. I see what you meant" Julia cooed rubbing her hand along Tigress's thigh, and the two blushed.

Tigress was still uneasy. "You sure you're okay? Working with psycho Paper Star? I know you two aren't exactly besties."

"The Faculty had spoken. Besides, how much trouble could we possibly get into? We're doing the one thing we both have in common: eliminating Carmen Sandiego."

"I guess. I just worry."

"I will be fine" Julia assured her, taking a sip from the latte.

From across the fuselage, Chief started to come to. Her eyes adjusted to the light, and she knew without looking that her arms were bound. Once the wooziness died down, the first image she laid her eyes on was Julia and Tigress in romantic throngs of passion.

"Look who decided to join us" Julia said facetiously.

"Have a nice nap?" Tigress asked, now the tough girl again.

"You can shut your trap" Chief snarled to Tigress. "And you can go to hell" she spat in Julia's direction. "To think I nearly sent you there."

"You're going to wish you had" Julia hissed. She got up and approached Chief, now towering over her. "All you had to do was sit your office and lead your covert espionage organization, but no; no. No, you had to relive your former glory days. Well it's cost you dearly."

Chief was undaunted, she had one ace up her sleeve. "I don't suppose your girlfriend explained to you the little deal I set up for her?"

"Ah yes, I seem to recall you explaining that to me in my ear while you were attempting to strangle me to death!" Julia fumed. "Ask yourself, Tammy...was it worth it?"

Chief raised an eyebrow. "It's a mistake, you bringing me to your headquarters. Do you not think I'll be plotting my every move to break out of whatever perilous situation you're putting me in and then find you and finish what I started? You see girls—" Chief continued, addressing Julia and Tigress. "You may have guessed by now that I'm not some desk jockey. I've done things to people, terrible things. You think Dexter Wolfe was my only kill? Don't make me laugh. And while true, every soul I've taken gives me nightmares, but somehow it's always worth it knowing vile scum are out of commission for good. My only concern is just how I plan to kill you. Cause it will not be quick" she finished. Tigress gulped while Julia remained ostensibly stoic.

"Do you really believe you can get under my skin?" Julia chuckled.

"Why not? That's why you turned traitor, no?" Chief smugly asked.

"Don't be so full of yourself, Tamara. You know there are more reasons than you—"

"I know. I've come to realize it now. Like say, your obvious crush on Carmen Sandiego? I think I have all the details I need. V.I.L.E. wants to turn one of my agents to have a leg up, so they pick you. You get kidnapped in London and they let you go out of fairness so you can think it over, which is why that day you were extra jumpy, assuming V.I.L.E. could get to you even at A.C.M.E. So, after your stress gets to you, you decide you want to depart from A.C.M.E. based on how myself and Devineaux treated you so you can go be with your crush, perhaps for solace and protection...but then she rejects you, doesn't she? Does she even know? I bet not. And now, heartbroken and with a dormant ego building you decide to take up V.I.L.E. on their offer and here you are. All over a girl. I bet it really had little to do with me and with A.C.M.E. and Devineaux. This was all some sick romantic revenge fant—" Chief couldn't finish before an angry Julia backhanded her across the face. Chief huffed, noticing her nose was bleeding. She spat some blood and smirked.

"In front of my lover. How dare you."

"I've had A heart-to-heart with your "lover", you're a lucky woman, Julia. She was such a pretentious letch before meeting you. My how you've turned her around...and my how she's corrupted you. Or was I right and this "Marauder" was always there and you're just some mentally deranged lunatic underneath the sweet, innocent, mousy exterior?"

Julia gripped her fists, seething with rage once more. She wound up her back hand but Tigress got off her seat and grabbed Julia by the arm. "Okay, okay, that's enough. We still need her alive" Tigress reminded her.

"Yes, yes of course" Julia nodded, lowering her arm. "It may please you to know, Tamara, that the Faculty has assigned me the task of eliminating Carmen Sandiego. Would that be something someone who was romantically obsessive would do?"

"Yes, heck it's textbook" Chief deadpanned.

"Well, let me say this so you can understand me clearly" Julia whispered getting right in Chief's face. "You will not ruin this for me. Understand?"

Chief looked quizzically at Julia and raised an eyebrow. "We'll see about that."

"Yes, indeed we will" Julia nodded and then walked back to her seat as the plane ride continued in some silence.

SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA 0637 HOURS

Tis dawn in sunny and scenic San Diego. Most of the city was busy making breakfast, and surfing, and preparing for work...or sleeping, it's still pretty early. Gypsy was hard at work counting money and earmarking it to be laundered, while Vincent seemed absent.

Emerging from the stairs was Shadowsan, go bag at the ready and some mission gear on...which is to say he was wearing his usual casual attire but with a tactical vest added. Gypsy greeted him as he went to briefly make a coffee.

"Oh! Shadowsan, how's the boy?" he asked.

"Carmen and the twins ran into some trouble in Paris. Player's sending me there now."

"How bad?"

"He couldn't even get the words out."

"That's bad."

"Where's Vincent?" Shadowsan asked.

"He went jogging so I got an early start."

"Good. Keep at it. Hopefully I will return with a Latina in red and two Irish kids from Boston" he said before putting the coffee in a to-go cup and heading for the door.

"Sounds like a Woody Allen movie" Gypsy joked. Shadowsan smirked before closing the door behind him. BUT, as he did, Gypsy got an email alert on his nearby open laptop. He briefly checked to see what it was and was instantly disturbed upon reading it. "What in the f—"

BELLEVUE WASHINGTON 0902 HOURS

Sometime later, we cut to a hospital in Bellevue. Chase had been brought by the police to said hospital and was slowly awakening. His head was in pain and so was his ribs, but he was otherwise in good spirits.

"Ugh, oh. Everything hurts" he mumbled.

A nurse was nearby tending to another patient and noticed Chase's ramblings. "Oh! Mr..." she paused looking at his chart. "Dev...Devi...Dovine...D-D—"

"Devineaux" he muttered. "Devin-oh" he enunciated.

"Devineaux, of course. I'll get the doctor in right away."

"Where am I?"

"St. Sebastian's in Bellevue. Boy, whoever did this to you sure did a number on your ribs" she continued reading his chart, and not making him feel any better. "The police said you're FBI. Now it's none of my business so I won't ask."

"FBI?" a confused Chase asked.

Curious, he reached for his pants and pulled out his A.C.M.E. ID card, except when he looked at it, the card read: FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, AGENT DEVINEAUX, CHASE. But knowing it was in Chase's hands, the badge swiped, revealing the white background with Chase's A.C.M.E. credentials.

"Sacre bleu. Chief thought of everything."

"I'm sorry?" Nurse asked.

"Oh yeah, yeah. It was uh, it was one of those nights. And I am sorry but it is also classified."

"Right of course. None of my business. But it must've been something. I was told you were found knocked out next to a trash can."

"Oh, right" Chase remembered.

"And you were bleeding all over the place."

"I'm sure."

"And there was vomit everywhere."

"Okay, I get it" Chase deadpanned.

"I mean, I'm a nurse, I've seen some vomit in my day but that—"

"Enough!" Chase boomed.

"Sorry. I'll fetch the doctor right away. Be right back" she said before leaving.

Chase fell back down on the bed. Marauder's words were like weapons to him. He couldn't shake the feeling that...maybe he was useless? And a lousy secret agent...or even maybe a lousy human being.

This recent string of failures were certainly taking its toll on the veteran detective. For one: Chase had more responsibility at A.C.M.E. and he felt as though he was letting everyone down around him. Marauder was unrelenting and there was seemingly no way he could stop her.

He was depressed about Chief's routine reprimands of his work and his character, and it made everything Marauder said to him seem that much truer; while she was busy beating him into oblivion.

Before Chase could ponder and worry and make himself into a depressed mess, the doctor entered. He was a middle aged man with scrubs underneath a white lab coat. "Mr. Devineaux. I was told you've returned to the world of the living" he said jokingly grabbing his chart. "Hmm, well that's good news, some spraining aside you're doing alright. I think we might be able to release you today" he explained.

"Wonderful" Chase deadpanned.

"I'll be back to check up on you in an hour or so and if your vitals look promising we shall release you" he finished, putting Chase's chart back and heading for the other patient's bed while Chase groaned, rubbing his head revealing it to be bandaged.

SEATTLE WASHINGTON 0923 HOURS

Not far away, Anthony was driving Chase's car to work as per his instructions because that's just how good a friend Anthony actually was. He had not gotten the news that Chase and Zari were summarily rocked by Marauder the previous evening.

Anthony, unlike Chase actually had some wheels turning about Marauder, and in fact those wheels would be turning in the right direction. He was suspicious from the beginning when Julia just showed up at his house, not to mention all the other crazy coincidences that happened with her as of late.

None of that went unnoticed by Anthony, despite his looks to the contrary. He was beyond suspicious and now he was grappling with the possibility that Marauder was in his house last night. At a traffic light he made an abrupt turn and headed over to Julia's place. He parked and made it just in time for the mailman to let him inside the building. He found her room number on the mail box and one elevator ride later he was right outside her apartment door.

He took a deep breath and put on his best Anthony-face. "Julia? It's me, Anthony Falco. Are you there? Are you at work?" he called, knocking on the door. He heard nothing. Anthony readied his stun gun, seeing no one else around and tried to force the locked door open. After a few tries he kicked it open, raising his gun as he charged inside.

Julia had quickly cleaned up the mess of the romantic dinner that never was and there still suspect food stains on the floor, which Anthony thought was odd. The kitchen itself was still a mess form the fight otherwise.

"Ju-Julia? Argent? It's me, Anthony!" he nervously called. After some more silence, it was obvious no one was home. Anthony put his gun away and started to search for some kind of clue. He came up with nada...until he went into Julia's bedroom which was unkempt and one could obviously tell two people had been sleeping in her bed recently.

The one thing of real suspicion that caught Anthony's eye was Julia's Fabergé Egg on the nightstand Tigress had stolen as a gift. As an A.C.M.E. agent, Anthony had been accustomed to handling genuine historical artifacts, and he knew this egg was the real McCoy, continuing to cement his suspicions. "Gotcha, you rat" he sneered.

A call came over his phone, he quickly answered it. "Falco . . . Uh-huh . . . uh-huuuuh . . . uh—he's what!? I'll be right there!" Anthony quickly hung up, this being the call of what happened to Chase. He looked at the egg one more time.

BATTLE CREEK MICHIGAN 0519 HOURS

The plane landed on an airstrip behind the lair which was added when V.I.L.E. took the old factory over. The three deplaned, with Chief still tied up but able to move her legs. As they disembarked, Julia saw Paper Star skipping over to the massive jet humming that creepy tune she's always murmuring.

"You sure you're gonna be okay with her?" Tigress asked.

"I will manage. Perhaps we'll come to an understanding" Julia shrugged with an ominous tone in her voice.

Paper Star skipped over to the three of them. "I believe you have something of mine."

Julia raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what might that be?"

"My thirty percent. From your little unsanctioned heist? Ring any bells?"

"Thirty percent? You contributed nothing!" Julia sneered.

"Yes, but I didn't tell the Faculty" Paper Star countered.

"Lot of good that did, they found out about it anyway" Julia snarled.

"Why don't you take it outside" Chief groaned.

"Who's the suit?" Paper Star asked.

"None of your concern" Julia hissed, crossing her arms.

"The "suit" would like for this awkward exchange to end. So could someone please adjourn me to whatever dungeon you've set up?" Chief asked.

"We'll get you a corner suite" Tigress huffed.

"I suppose we should hurry now" Julia nodded, Tigress stopped her.

"Be careful."

"Always. I'll return for you" Julia winked, and gave Tigress a brief kiss. Tigress blushed but then dragged Chief across the airstrip while Julia and Paper Star walked back on the plane as the Cleaners finished refueling it, and the tied down chopper and taking out the V.I.L.E. chopper.

PARIS FRANCE 1211 HOURS

Slowly but surely, Dash was coming to. He woozily shook his head and groaned. When his eyes adjusted he noticed he was tied to a chair with a crude tourniquet around his wounded arm to temporarily stop the bleeding.

Upon further inspection, Dash knew he was in a V.I.L.E. safehouse still probably within the city limits of Paris. Dash also knew he was alone. On a table across this apparent living room was Carmen's pistol and the bullet brass. Also folded up on the table was Carmen's trademark red coat and fedora. He struggled to free himself but the more he did and the more he adjusted from waking up, a ton of pain washed over him as the shock and adrenaline were gone and he was left with nothing but excruciating agony.

"Gaaaaaah!" he hissed.

Suddenly, he heard someone at the front door. But he was dismayed when Carmen entered with a few bags of things. She closed and locked the door behind her. She was limping a bit but otherwise fine, now clad in her black undershirt and pants.

"Lucy, you're home" Dash deadpanned.

"Seems like an outdated reference. How are you feeling?" Carmen asked.

"Like I've been shot with a gun!" Dash hissed.

"Well, Dr. Carmen's here to fix it" she dumped one of the bags on the table, revealing some surgical tools.

"Well Dr. Carmen also caused my injury!"

"YOU pulled the trigger, Dash, not me!" Carmen insisted, forgiveness suddenly not in the cards. "And besides had you gotten my gun you would've killed me and you know it."

"Not kill, maybe just maim" Dash shrugged.

"You're real lucky I didn't just leave you to die."

"So, why didn't you?"

"It's not who I am."

Dash let out a heavy sigh. "Mmm-hmm. I know what you are, Carmen."

"Do you? Enlighten me" Carmen groaned, readying the tools for Dash's impending bullet removal.

"You're obsessive. I've known you since you were a teenager and you haven't changed a bit since."

"I'm obsessive? Me?" Carmen asked desperately not wanting to give Dash any satisfaction.

"Yes. You were this angsty prankster who was obsessed with seeing the world...then you got a taste of V.I.L.E.'s real intentions and you became obsessed with seeing us fall."

"You say that like it's a bad thing" a smug Carmen blurted.

"Obsession isn't healthy, honey. Besides, I'm not just talking about your goals. I'm talking about people."

"Fine. I'm obsessed with wanting to throw Marauder's evil butt in jail. Ya got me."

"But yet here you are, obsessing over her. Is she all you think about?"

"Lately, yeah. But only because she's hindering me from stopping you and V.I.L.E. from stealing everything there is to steal on this planet."

"Is she in your dreams?" Dash asked.

"Are you a psychiatrist now?"

"All I'm saying is maybe these feelings are pent up. Maybe you're thinking about something else and you don't know how to manifest what you really want."

"Can you stop talking in riddles, please. I'm not in the mood for the psychoanalysis."

"I'm saying you're really obsessing over this new villain because you have an attraction to her."

Carmen stopped dead in her tracks as she was about to put on a pair of latex gloves. Was Dash calling Carmen a lesbian? And more importantly, what a baseless theory. Carmen had no love for Marauder.

But yet...here she was, as a slight shade of red appeared on her face. This couldn't have made sense. Carmen thought she was this overzealous and toxic person, which would fit the obsessive personality, but just because she had unresolved feelings about Julia and her father did all that mean—

WAIT A SECOND! Carmen paused. Something Dash said really struck a chord with her. All of her negative feelings began right after she rejected Julia from joining her. Carmen was quite quick to dismiss her. But she thought it was because Julia was meant to be at A.C.M.E., and that she couldn't handle this aspect of her line of work, playing fast and loose with the law and to selfishly be a go-between for her and A.C.M.E...but Carmen did so without much thought, like it was almost a kneejerk reaction to keep Julia at an arm's length. Was all this over unresolved romantic feelings? No. No, Carmen thought she was doing the right thing and was now regretting it. She did want Julia on her team, after the fact at least. No, she couldn't be attracted to her. She shook her head and put her stoic face back on.

"You want that bullet out of your arm or what?" she asked trying to change the subject, to Dash's quiet amusement...which was snuffed out due to the fact he was in so much pain.

BELLEVUE WASHINGTON 1026 HOURS

Chase was about to be released by the doctor. He was now dressed and sitting on the side of his hospital bed while the doctor had out his pen and prescription booklet. Chase sat with a depressed look on his face.

"Alright Mr. Devineaux, all seems well, your vitals are all good just try not do anything strenuous for at least a week and no major physical fitness or labor for three weeks. Your ribs took the brunt of the abuse but other than some discomfort from coughing, sneezing, or laughing you should be okay. Now I'm gonna prescribe you some Percocet's for the pain, if you finish the prescription and the pain still subsists, come back and we can take some additional x-rays."

"Um, since you are here, doctor, I've been feeling...well, I've been feeling really depressed lately. Is it at all possible to prescribe me something to calm me down? Valium, perhaps?" Chase asked.

"I can't prescribe an opioid and a benzodiazepine simultaneously, it's gotta be one or the other" the doctor said tearing off the prescription from the pad and handing to Chase. He was about to grab it but the doctor recoiled for a moment. "If you got the blues, have you considered cannabis? I can write you a prescription to get a medicinal card."

"What do I look like? Some kind of lazy stoner? No thanks" Chase defensively grunted, taking the prescription from the doctor. "Besides, I am a federal agent" he lied, ostensibly to keep his cover to keep A.C.M.E. secret.

"Well if you change your mind, it's legal for recreational use in Washington State so you can find a dispensary at your convenience" The doctor nodded before moving on to another patient. Chase looked at the prescription for a moment.

But before he could continue feeling sorry for himself he heard a familiar frantic voice out in the hallway. "Where is he? Where is—oh, Chase!"

It was the last person Chase wanted to see...well, second to—well, third to last...okay maybe Anthony wasn't that far down but still wasn't at the top. Anyway, he entered carrying three different bouquets of flowers, some fancy chocolates, a GET WELL SOON teddy bear, and a Papyrus greeting card. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Chase doesn't deserve a friend like Anthony.

"Chase my man! Are you okay? I didn't get the details, I had to hear it from Agent Barendarsky! You and Zari got jumped?"

"That's putting it mildly" Chase scoffed. "I am fine, I will live."

"Well, I put in a call to Irene and we didn't know which flowers to get you so I went to three of the best florists in the metro area, and I got your favorite chocolates, the kids are gonna make you A homemade card but I got this one in the interim, and they had this in the gift shop and your favorite mints are in my pocket. I had to go to five stores to find them—"

"I don't want any of that. Give it to Zari, she must be here too" Chase said before walking up to the nurse tending to the other patient. "Excuse me nurse, was there a woman who was admitted with me, or—"

"Yes, she's upstairs I believe, but she's in bad shape. Best not disturb her."

"Right" Chase nodded before turning to Anthony. "Come on Anthony, let's go disturb her."

"On it, pal!" Anthony followed Chase out.

PARIS FRANCE 1235 HOURS

In another safehouse across town sitting in an upstairs living room were the still knocked out Zack and Ivy, both tied to chairs sitting side by side. While Ivy slumbered peacefully, sans sawing logs as loudly as your uncle with sleep apnea, Zack was making no noise but was drooling like a sieve.

He awoke first, and quickly took a look at his surroundings. He awoke to the sound of a cheer and a jeer. El Topo and Le Chevre were sitting on a couch watching a big screen TV. A soccer match was in progress. Barcelona had just scored against Manchester United and while El Topo was pleased, Le Chevre was disappointed...the same disappointment Detroit Lions fans were used to experiencing.

"Si! Goal!"

"That was rigged! He was fouled!" Le Chevre jeered.

"Soccer? Boring" A woozy Zack complained. The two took notice.

"What's soccer?" El Topo asked.

"He's an American, mon ami, that's what they call futbol."

"Then, what do they call futbol?"

"The sport with the grown men in faux armor—I made the joke earlier already, Google it!" Le Chevre dismissed him.

Ivy was jostled awake moments later by Zack, who used his partially bound leg to kick her chair. Ivy was startled awake. "Zack! Look out!"

"Were passed that, sis. They got us" Zack sighed.

"Oh, right."

"I'm sure you're both wondering what's going to come next, eh?" Le Chevre asked.

"Does it involve brainwashing us to be V.I.L.E. operatives? Cause, you guys tried that and Carm kicked your butts from here to Helsinki!" Zack proudly said, but his smile faded. "Oh right, I'm mad at her right now."

"I can't believe this" Ivy complained. "All her talk about sticking to missions, and loyalty, and she sidelines us when we could've been most helpful! I bet she thinks we can't take care of ourselves. Like she always needs to bail us out of jams all the time."

"I can say from my past experiences with the three of you, that she has made a second career out of doing just that" El Topo explained.

"Yeah, well...we-were improving!" Zack defended.

"Clearly not enough" Le Chevre jeered.

"Carm really thinks of us as amateurs, doesn't she?" Ivy asked.

"She clearly does. Are you sure we cannot entice you both to join V.I.L.E.?" El Topo asked.

"You both like automobiles. Think of the collection you can amass" Le Chevre added.

"Fat chance" Zack scoffed.

"I own three vintage formula one race cars—one was the winner of Le Mans in 1957. Do I need it? No. Do I ever drive it? No. Glad I stole it? Absolutely" Le Chevre smirked.

"Just cause were miffed at Carmen doesn't mean were just gonna go a full one-eighty on a dime. You'll have to try harder than that" Ivy smugly explained.

"Well, your options are fairly limited" El Topo countered.

"Oui. You can join us on your own accord, or be mind-wiped" Le Chevre said, pointing to his temple for added effect.

"Or option three: Carm rescues us, like—"

"Like the two amateurs that you are" Le Chevre said before Zack could finish. "Face it, you're wasting your time with Carmen Sandiego. All the back-breaking work and for what? For her to not appreciate you both?"

"She appreciates us!" Zack snarked.

"Yeah, were her go-to twins" Ivy agreed.

"And yet, here you are, about to be permanently turned into V.I.L.E. operatives and where's Carmen to rescue you?" El Topo asked.

The twins nervously looked at one another, they were right, because it had been some time and there was nary a distress call from Carmen.

Speak of the devil. Carmen had on a pair of gloves with a pair of hemostats and some sutures at the ready. She had rolled up Dash's bloody sleeve, his wound dripping in blood. Carmen hit his neck with a morphine shot, and Dash slowly began to relax.

"Alright, just relax" Carmen urged him.

"I am...very...v-very...relaxed" a newly sedated Dash slurred.

"Alright, it doesn't look like it hit any major artery, probably broke your arm though."

"Just get it out...please."

"I'm working on it" Carmen stretched the hemostat onto the wound, moving the parted skin aside and Dash let out a primal scream.

"GAH! Why does it hurt this much!?"

"It's morphine, Dash, not a miracle. Now hold still!" Carmen demanded

With another hemostat she reached through the skin, and after some digging around, and Dash writhing in pain, she pulled out the bloody piece of lead. "Bingo" Carmen dropped the bullet aside and then went right to work sewing up Dash's wound with the suture. She disinfected the wound with some alcohol, which made Dash scream in pain once more.

She quickly stitched up Dash's wound, and after what seemed like hours, Carmen was done. She threw off the now bloody surgical gloves and sat down on a chair across from the well-dressed villain.

The silence was deafening. Dash felt like he could fall asleep and any regular person would use this time to relax and get some sleep considering they didn't sleep for nearly a day, but Carmen was not a regular person and was always on her guard, never taking a moment to truly relax.

But really, this was her previous conversation with Dash reeling in her head. She wasn't so much thinking of Marauder as she was thinking of Julia, and how she treated her, and how she really had no real reason to not let her on her team...was Dash's accusations holding their weight? She had to know more. But for now, there was a tense calm throughout the safehouse.

BELLEVUE WASHINGTON 1029 HOURS

A few floors and some bad directions later and they found Zari's room, which was private...except someone was there at her bedside.

Zari was still knocked out from the heavy stun, almost in a borderline coma. The man watching the heart monitor she was attached to was a bit taller than Anthony and Chase. He was tan, rugged, wearing a similar attire to them only in gray, with short dark hair and an otherwise cleanly shaven face.

"Um, hello?" Chase said.

"Hey, how's it going? Not sure we've met officially, I'm Arturo Rojas, I'm Zari's boyfriend" he said in a calm voice. He held out his hand for the two to shake it.

Chase and Anthony both couldn't have been more slack-jawed. Zari...had a boyfriend? Robotic, no nonsense, no feelings Zari had a boyfriend...someone who spends time with her outside of work. The two were frozen stiff and Arturo awkwardly lowered his hand.

"You are...Zari's...boyfriend?" Chase asked.

"Yes, that's correct."

"Like, you know—boyfriend, boyfriend?" Anthony asked for clarity.

"I don't understand the question" Arturo answered confusedly. "But: yeah, sure. We've been together for five and a half years."

"She's never mentioned you" Anthony said. "Ever."

"She doesn't want to get distracted at work. She's a workaholic you know."

"We know" the two deadpanned simultaneously.

"How'd this happen? She knock herself out with her own stun gun again?" Arturo jokingly asked.

The two froze. How did Arturo know that? Zari was revealing A.C.M.E. secrets to outsiders? Never! Not Zari. They stammered trying to think of some kind of excuse. "Um, well, you know—"

"She's, she's very, uh..."

"Relax fellas" Arturo chuckled, taking out an A.C.M.E. key card with his name and face on it. "I'm a company man, too. It's how we met."

"Hey, a pisan!" Anthony cheered, finally shaking Arturo's hand.

"That makes sense now" Chase nodded. "Someone she could talk work stuff with."

"I must've just missed you last time she was laid up, I usually work night shifts anyhow" Arturo explained.

"Hey, if you're with A.C.M.E. how come I've never seen you before?" Anthony asked.

"I'm an analyst. We wear a different color than you field agents. If you come into the Crime Net server room, you'll see me. I'm the Special Agent in charge of Technology and Criminal Analysis" Arturo explained. "By the way, Special Agent Devineaux, I'm tired of ordering new A.C.M.E. vehicles every two weeks, maybe take a defensive driving class, huh?"

"Ha-ha" Chase grunted.

"So, what happened, exactly? Barendarsky was telling me you two went on a raid of Union Square?" Arturo asked. "It was that Marauder psycho, wasn't it?"

"It certainly was" Chase groaned, answering Arturo's question. "I don't remember much, we had split up, she must've knocked us both out separately. Our Fort Knox suspect was in the building; the two of them must've been plotting something diabolical."

"There were reports of a green helicopter leaving the area as police were clearing the floor you guys were on" Arturo explained. "Safe bet that's how they made their getaway—but here's the kicker, forensics did fifty sweeps of that place this morning, and nothing-nada was stolen."

"Nothing?" Anthony and Chase said together.

"Nothing" Arturo confirmed.

"Strange, that's not V.I.L.E.'s M.O. at all" Anthony pondered.

"Stuff was broken, don't get me wrong, but nothing stolen. And let me tell yous, Chief sure picked a helluva day to pull a Ferris Bueller, no one can get a hold of her and she isn't at work."

"Oh right, what did Chief want?" Anthony asked Chase.

"What? What do you mean?" Chase asked.

"You know, last night? Chief called you, remember? You said she called and you got all depressed and said you'd call later or something?"

"Chief never called me, Agent Falco."

"Uh, yeah, she did, I remember."

"Anthony, she didn't call" Chase reiterated.

"Yeah man, she did! It was around the time when-..." Anthony trailed, remembering last night, and the impromptu raid of Julia's apartment.

"What's the matter?" Chase asked. Before Anthony could answer, a nurse entered.

"Excuse me, gentlemen, I need some signatures for the next of kin of the patient."

"Oh, that would be me, I'm her boyfriend" Arturo raised his hand.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to that" Chase muttered.

"Thank you sir, we need your written permission to do an exploratory surgery so we can see if there's any internal bleeding from her fall" the nurse explained.

"Right of course"

"We'll uh, leave you alone. It was nice meeting you, Arturo" Anthony nodded.

"You too, fellas. Hey, I'll get you my extension. I have a hunch we'll be working together more in the future" he said before taking the forms from the nurse. Anthony pulled Chase out into the hallway, and around a corner where no one was around.

"So, are you going to let me in on your pause?" Chase asked.

"You had a call from Chief, I remember."

"We were both very drunk—"

"Neither here nor there, my friend. You claim there is no voicemail or call and I do? Why would I think that? What changed since last night, hmm? I wonder—oh right, Argent!"

"What?" Chase raised an eyebrow.

"Come off it, Chase. She just randomly shows up to my house, unannounced to tell me she had something important to tell us and smash cut to this morning and there is no call or voicemail? Julia knew to come to my house because you're always sharing your location on your phone—"

"Anthony—"

"Let me finish! She knows you're at my house so she shows up."

"So what? Even if there was a voicemail, what would benefit Miss Argent from making sure I don't hear it?" Chase asked. "Are you really assuming that Julia is Marauder? Again? I thought you were over that ludicrous bullsh—"

"Assuming? I'm past assuming, amigo. No, that ship sailed when she infiltrated my house. My own private domicile where my wife and young children sleep! I was suspicious already when she was just kidnapped by our suspect and Marauder but yet there's no sign of Marauder when we show up, only Julia and no one else can corroborate where she was before being kidnapped."

"Keep your voice down. Secret agents, remember?" Chase raised an eyebrow.

"Sorry. But then, suddenly we return to HQ and our perp makes a clean getaway, and who was the last person to talk to her? Anyone, anyone—Argent. Didn't you notice how eager she was to make sure we couldn't hear inside the room? They were plotting an escape! I wish I had the foresight to turn the speakers back on. Coulda had them both locked up by now!"

"That is circumstantial at best" Chase crossed his arms. "And where does Chief fit into your conspiracy theory?"

"I think Chief was closing in, and didn't want to waste any time trying to take her in and risk Julia escaping again, so she calls you because she trusts you, you didn't get the call at the time but neither of us thought anything of it. So, she confronts Julia, there was a struggle, they figured out she called you and Julia makes a beeline for Everett with a flimsy pretext to be there and then she erases the voicemail and uses your drunkenness to gaslight you into thinking it was never there. I'm guessing in the interim, Chief broke free and captured the perp in Union Square, probably luring Julia aka Marauder there and in the time it took you and I'm guessing Agent Zari to get there, Julia ran back home, changed into something more evil and did the dirty deeds, escaping with the perp and Chief" Anthony finished.

"Sherlock Holmes over here" an unconvinced Chase rolled his eyes.

"Chase! Open your eyes, man! Who else could it be? Did-did-did Julia even tell you whatever thing was so important she had to tell you at my house?"

"I don't remember! I was drunk, I could barely see straight! I was probably thinking and saying all kinds of dumb things! And if you're so convinced, why not make a move while we could have overpowered her in the pool house?"

"Two reasons, one: yes, we were drunk, we were in no condition, and two: secret agents; my wife thinks were salesmen, there's no way we could apprehend Julia without someone in my house knowing, and if I kept her thinking no one was the wiser she would do whatever thing she came to do and leave without incident where no one could get hurt, ideally, my wife and kids. Why do you think I was so eager to get her away from Irene? So we could keep an eye on her."

"I'll admit last night was strange, but that doesn't mean Julia is a vicious and evil criminal mastermind."

"What more do you need? Do we gotta unmask Marauder ourselves like were Scooby-Doo? She fits the profile to the letter! Possible A.C.M.E. agent, dark hair in a pixie cut, petite body, suspicious Chief vanishes without a trace—and now Zari is out of commission. Did she say anything?"

"Actually yes, she had a phone conversation with Chief and said it sounded irregular."

"Gee, I wonder why? Because it had to have been after she was captured by Argent and the perp and they coached her what to say. I'll bet Zari knew something or figured it out and Julia made sure she wouldn't talk."

"No matter what you tell me, I will not be convinced it is Argent!" Chase huffed, crowding Anthony's space.

"Why? Whenever you and I are doing stuff when you're not complaining about Chief, you're complaining about Julia! "Dull facts", "boring things" yada-yada-yada! I thought you'd be chomping at the bit with my revelation! You kept saying she's the reason you never caught Carmen Sandiego."

"No! It's my fault!" Chase boomed. "Thank you Anthony for opening up those wounds! Yes, fine! I admit it, happy!? I, Chase Devineaux am a lousy law enforcement agent! I let two twenty-somethings in ridiculous outfits routinely outsmart me while I fall on the hood of my car and let them take whatever they want! Does that make you feel better, Agent Falco? You and your perfect life, and your adorable children, your good looking wife and your house in suburbia! While I sit in my lonely bachelor pad with my string boards losing sleep and getting older with no wife, no heir to my name and apparently no friends!"

There was a pause. Anthony didn't know what to say. Wow, Chase really felt that bad? Even the most ardent Chase-hater might feel sorry for him in this moment of weakness. But Chase stopped, trying to hold back another meltdown. He quickly turned and charged away.

"I have to go!"

"No. Chase, wait! Wait!" Anthony tried to follow him still holding all the flowers and things he got for Chase in the first place.

SKIES OVER THE ATLANTIC OCEAN 1247 HOURS

The V.I.L.E. aircraft was darting over the Atlantic barreling towards France. Julia sat in her jump seat looking across at Paper Star, legs folded over one another with one tapping. She was humming her tune and folding some paper into shuriken.

Julia groaned. She was tired-no, strike that, she was exhausted. And now she was forced to work with quite literally the last V.I.L.E. operative she wanted to be around, and to add to her frustrations, she now owed her a cut of the heist of which she contributed less-than-nothing to.

She felt her communicator buzz. Julia answered it, there was an Asian man on the other end of the screen, V.I.L.E.'s answer to Player: The Troll.

"Marauder, greetings."

"Yes, uh, Troll, is it not?"

"Almost. The Troll, please. I get it sounds like a passing detail. There are many on the internet who want to be trolls, but there can only be one The Troll."

Julia sighed. "Yes of course, "The" Troll. Did you receive the hacked documents I sent you?"

"Ah yes, the official letterhead of the Chief of A.C.M.E. Got the file right here" he said splitting the screen revealing a piece of blank letterhead with Chief's auto penned signature at the bottom. "I got to hand it to you, you are diabolical my evil friend. With just a few clicks we can send "official" commands to everyone at A.C.M.E."

"Yes, it can be anything from "the wrong address to any of our heists", to "promoting me to underboss of the organization" to "adding rice pudding to the commissary menu", the possibilities are endless."

"Ooh, maybe you can give yourself a medal" Paper Star cattily muttered yet deliberately loud enough for Julia to hear, and she scowled.

"Anyway, I have "Chief's official" notice of leave right here. You can proofread it in case I couldn't make it sound like her" he said, enhancing an image of a letter explaining Chief's abrupt absence.

Julia briefly perused the letter, smiling. "Yes, this is perfect. No one will suspect Chief is really our prisoner."

"Excellent, I'll hack her email and send this bad boy out to the entire organization shortly. Really good work, no wonder the Faculty won't shut up about you."

"Thank you, The Troll" Julia smirked "There is one more matter of urgent business."

"Absolutely, lay it on me."

"It's obvious A.C.M.E. is getting suspicious of my activities here and with or without Chief being our prisoner, people will talk. I'm sending you a link, it's a database bio of every A.C.M.E. operative current or former. I need you to scour through it in its entirety and find the most reasonable facsimile you can to my own likeness" Julia ordered.

"Ahhhhhhh, and we can make it appear as though she is Marauder which takes the heat off you. Clever."

"Sort of, find her and we will get her first, keeping her under wraps to assume she is Marauder while A.C.M.E. wastes their time chasing a lead that isn't there."

Now this of all things caused Paper Star to intervene. "Whoa. You're going to frame an innocent person and then kidnap her?"

"Evil enough for you?" Julia sarcastically asked. Paper Star said nothing.

"That is brilliant! I'll get right on that and hopefully have the perfect scapegoat lined up before you finish up in Paris" The Troll said.

"Good, message me the moment you have a narrowed list" Julia insisted before ending the call. Her smile faded when her eyes fell on Paper Star. "You still don't like me, do you?"

"I have trust issues" Paper Star deadpanned. Julia crossed her arms.

"Trust? Or jealousy?" Julia mused.

Paper Star stopped her folding. At first she just remained blank in the face but she eventually slowly looked up and towards Julia. "Maybe it's both. Maybe it's nothing. Maybe screw yourself" Paper Star said before launching the shuriken she was working on towards Julia, and it landed on the wall of the fuselage right next to Julia's head, but she was unmoved.

"It's alright to be jealous. Not everyone has what it takes to take down Carmen Sandiego on their own."

"And yet for all the opportunities you've had, she's still alive" Paper Star countered.

"Her days are numbered. The Faculty handed the contract down to me."

"Pity. She would have made a good operative. Must've really screwed up because I know Professor Maelstrom is obsessed with making her one of us. One way or another."

"It matters not. The point is, It will be me who eliminates her. And not you" Julia smirked.

"Yeah, we'll see about that."

"I'm sure we will. But, you still never answered my question. You are jealous of me, aren't you? Now, I'm certain I can guess it's not merely of my success with V.I.L.E., but that it is romantic in nature. Is it because I have Tigress...or, because Tigress has me?" Julia asked.

Paper Star paused and stared at Julia with the coldest, most dead eyes you ever saw. After a moment, she went back to folding paper and looked away. "You gotta be careful in Paris. So many opportunities to get yourself hurt. It sure would be a shame if I came back alone, wouldn't it?" Paper Star said in a nonchalantly threatening tone.

"It would. But, think of it this way, Paper Star...you know what I am already capable of, and you should know that your tone doesn't threaten me. You don't threaten me. So, it would be wise not to make an enemy of me, because you are far more expendable than I could ever be. And, given what you know about my exploits, it would be in your best interest to tread lightly" Julia hissed. "Because you coming back alone and me coming back alone will be two completely different reactions from the Faculty."

Paper Star said nothing, she didn't even make a face, she just continued her work while Julia huffed, her face seemed angry at first but slowly, a creepy smile emerged on her lips as the plane continued its journey to Paris.

PARIS FRANCE 1338 HOURS

Carmen wrapped Dash's arm in a sling but he was otherwise bound to the chair. She had procured some baguettes on her way back from pilfering medical supplies and was feeding him some bread.

The two were very quiet through it all, mostly as neither had gotten much sleep the previous evening. Carmen looked over at her captive. His accusation seemed so false to her...right? But the more Carmen wanted to believe that the more her mind just went back to rejecting Julia and how easy it was to her; how quick her mind made such a kneejerk reaction.

It started to resonate with her. Why else make such a flimsy excuse to keep her from joining her crew? All Carmen could think about was how selfish she was acting and how her recent decisions had been quite off-the-cuff and irregular for her. It wasn't that she was so selfish...well, it wasn't the whole reason, but she was really repressing were romantic feelings.

Carmen thought about her romances in life...Graham. Yeah, that was it. Carmen's pseudo "big brother" who clearly had similar feelings to the Latina. But Carmen never really thought about women that way...well, not until she had all this time to actually stop and think.

The more Carmen tried to justify all this, her mind began to wander and it thought about Julia, not even about Marauder, or her father, or anything else at all, but to Julia. A small shade of pink appeared on Carmen's face as Dash took notice.

"Who you thinking about?" he smugly asked.

"Huh, what?"

"Do you think I'm an idiot, Carmen? I know my little "observation" about you definitely started you thinking."

Carmen rolled her eyes. "Please. I'm just tired, that's all."

"Mmm-hmm" Dash smirked. "I bet you're thinking about Marauder."

"Not hardly" Carmen huffed. "Look, I grew up on that island, I saw a lot of operatives come and go, but I've never seen anyone so patently evil and insane like her. So no, Dash, I'm not attracted to Marauder!"

"Would it make a difference if she were a man?"

"No" Carmen deadpanned. "And besides, how you know what I like?"

"I was on that island for a long time myself, sweetie, and I definitely took notice of you when you actually went through the program. You and Crackle?"

Carmen blushed again. "Graham was sweet, like a big brother."

"If that's how you think of a brother, you have some serious problems."

"Not literally. He was cute and the only one of you I've ever missed."

"I can think of a fellow V.I.L.E. operative that misses you" Dash bemused.

"Really?" Carmen scoffed, crossing her arms. Then she recoiled. "I guess I hit it off with El Topo."

"No-no, not El Topo."

"I mean, Le Chevre was always nice to me—"

"Nope, not Le Chevre, either."

Carmen rolled her eyes. "I'm not playing this game with you. Why don't we skip the high-school-girl chatter and you just tell me who it is."

"Why you've never noticed? Of course not, then we wouldn't be having this conversation...it's our feline friend with the blonde hair."

Carmen blushed again. She shook her head in total disbelief. "NO! Tigress!?"

"That's her."

"Tigress? That Mean Girl stereotype? She hated me—she's the only one that always hated me!"

"Have you ever wondered why she was always so hostile with you?" Dash asked.

"I'm guessing it stems from years of abuse from an unhappy childhood?" Carmen guessed.

"Don't be cute. You know what I mean...the same reason were talking about this right now. She liked you, and not even she knew that. Her brain was desperately trying to justify the feelings but didn't want to seem weak. I happen to be pretty clairvoyant with people's desires."

"And yet here you are, shilling for Countess Cleo. My how the mighty have fallen."

"My point is: she was into you, and I'm here saying you are into Marauder. I can read it all over the blush."

"I'm not a lesbian, Dash!"

"I never said you were. You can be bi."

"I'm not—forget it! It's not important. I'm married to my work."

"Marriage and having feelings are not one in the same."

"I don't have feelings for her!" Carmen defended, standing up abruptly.

"Whatever gets you to sleep at night."

"What do you know? You're Cleo's glorified errand boy!"

"I'm just making an innocent observation. You're the one getting defensive."

"Because it's not true!"

"So then why yell? If you're so morally superior, why let this bother you?"

"Because!"

Because why?"

"It's none of your business, Dash!"

"Again, you don't have to respond to my questions so angrily. Why not just tell me the truth?"

"Because if I let her on my team I'll would've gotten too close to her!" Carmen finally blurted.

Carmen stopped in her tracks. Whoa...whoa. It all finally hit her. Dash may have been talking about Marauder, but little did he know Carmen was referring to Julia...so much irony.

There it was, a secret Carmen barely knew about herself now out in the open. It felt almost peaceful, like this huge weight was lifted off her shoulders. All the talk of Carmen being this blind altruist where everyone had a place to her was cast aside; this wasn't because Carmen was overzealous and inflexible, not completely, she wasn't afraid of losing an ally inside of A.C.M.E...she was afraid of letting Jules on her team might develop an attraction between them.

Carmen thought of the past when she was going to ask Julia in D.C. and was rejected herself, she thought this was because she didn't like the feeling of being told no, but it was because Julia had rejected HER! All the nightmares, all the uncertainty, all the risky behavior...this was all to repress romantic feelings for Julia. She leaned forward, putting her head down. She made a loud sigh and wiped her eyes.

"There was this A.C.M.E. agent. She wanted to—she was the one who nearly had you apprehended in the forest in California...and I told her no, ostensibly because I needed her at A.C.M.E. to help warn me of what they were doing, or getting the stolen goods back to their owners in a timely manner. But, I think, I mean, I guess it's because I think I may like her" she said before looking up. "Happy?"

"My arm's broken because I was shot. No, I'm not happy. But I bet you feel better, no?"

"A little" Carmen said before blushing and looking away. "She's really sweet. She loves history, she has this adorable English accent. I think, that maybe why I was so concerned it might be Julia Argent, that's who she is" Carmen said, remembering it was Zack who put the idea in her head to begin with. "I don't know how I could live with myself if it's her. Tell me it isn't? You don't want to tell me her name? Fine. Whatever, I'll figure it out. Just please tell me it isn't her, Dash" Carmen begged.

Dash stared blankly for a moment. What an opportunity he had. On one hand, he felt the news might be so shocking it might make Carmen go into a fugue state and give him time to make his escape, but on the other hand, he knew Carmen was really unstable at that moment, and he was still bound to the chair. No one would hear him scream. What if the news was so much that Carmen took her anger out on him? So, he lied.

"She never gave a name. She had the codename picked out from day one. And you know V.I.L.E. policy: the less we know about you, the less someone can use against you in a court of law. Nobody ever asked."

"But it's not her, right?"

"It's not her" Dash lied.

Carmen breathed a sigh of relief. But this nice moment would be short lived as Dash pressed his luck. "But it's not gonna matter who it is, because you can't stop her, and I know that's eating you up just as much. Attraction or not."

Carmen scoffed and the two remained with this subtle tension building. "It's been nearly two weeks. It's been killing me, giving me nightmares. And who knew it's because I have a crush?"

"Congratulations honey, you're a human" Dash deadpanned.

"Then I guess maybe I'm not some selfish altruist who never knows how to shut off?" A hopeful Carmen asked.

"Oh no, you're that too, but at least you don't have this hanging over you."

Carmen rolled her eyes, desperately not taking her eyes off of Dash, but as the two became silent once more, Carmen felt it all the more difficult to remain awake.

SEATTLE WASHINGTON 1120 HOURS

One Lyft ride later and Chase was dropped off a block away from A.C.M.E. HQ as per protocol. He was so embarrassed form his own crazy outburst that he had forgotten Anthony drove his car there and had his keys. He looked down the block and spotted what looked like a storefront for a Cannabis dispensary. Chase shook his head and walked towards HQ.

Much like Carmen, Chase was having an existential crisis. His ego had been shattered and he was questioning whether he could still function as a secret agent. All his past failures seemed to be catching up with him. All the ruined automobiles, all the perps that got away, and a lady in red always there to laugh at his misery.

But this was different, Marauder had completely taken all the wind out of Chase's sails, and it almost seemed personal. He was desperately trying to shake Anthony's accusations. Chase couldn't believe Julia was his new sworn enemy because he didn't think Julia could hate him so much. He didn't want to lose someone he thought dearly as a friend and couldn't believe he could be so toxic, it would be enough to flip someone from good to evil.

He shuffled into his office, first glancing to Julia's well-kept desk that was unoccupied as she was on her way to clean up a mess in his native France. He then turned to his mess of a desk. His eyes shifted to the photos above the computer. The Die Hard poster, now a permanent reminder that Chase will never be John McClane. There was the homemade picture of Carmen locked up, also a reminder that she'll always be three steps ahead of him.

Finally, there was the grainy CCTV shot of Marauder at the Smithsonian with Chase's motivational statement below it. Chase took one look at the photo and his sadness was slowly replaced with rage. In a fit of frustration he tore the photo from the wall and tore it up, before angrily grabbing his keyboard and smashed the torn remains of the photo, ultimately knocking some keys out and smashing everything he could find on the desk.

Chase finally stopped when he got control of himself, which was too little, too late as a few concerned passersby looked in the cubicle to get a glimpse of the noise and vitriol. Chase nervously put the now broken keyboard on the desk.

"Oh uh, heh-heh, there was a really big spider—a wolf spider. I-I think I got it. Nothing to see here, get back to work" he ordered everyone, who at various paces went back to their day. Chase slumped in his chair and wiped his forehead. Looking down at the floor, there was a piece of the photo which was that of Marauder's face, wordlessly taunting him.

PARIS FRANCE 1431 HOURS

Across town, both Twins had fallen asleep as the soccer match bored the heck out of them. Ivy felt something on her thighs and started to wake up. As her eyes adjusted she saw a blurry image right in her face. Once fully adjusted she saw it was Paper Star.

"Boo."

"GAH!" Ivy appropriately shouted, rousing Zack.

"No officer, I swear!" he shouted, realizing he was no longer in a dream, but a nightmare.

"Goody. They sent the psychopath" Ivy hissed.

"Which one?" Paper Star facetiously asked.

On cue, the door to the room opened, and slowly the twins gulped when they saw who else, but Marauder enter. "I prefer sociopath, myself" she smugly said.

Marauder grabbed a chair and sat in front of the twins, who were both sweating profusely and couldn't take their Bostonian eyes off of the egotistical villainess in front of them. Paper Star skipped over to the now empty couch and flopped on it.

"So, Carmen Sandiego's two lackeys. Le Chevre was briefing me on the details. It turns out there is some dissatisfaction among the ranks?"

The twins paused, too frightened to answer Marauder's semi-cryptic quips. She unsheathed one of her blades, and held it up to their faces. "Answer me!" she demanded.

"Well, I wouldn't necessarily call us dissatisfied. More upset? Perturbed—"

Already out of patience, Marauder backhanded Zack across the face. "Zack!" Ivy cried.

His head to the side, Zack coughed. Some blood and spit landed on the floor. He turned back, his left eye was black and his nose bloody. Marauder held up the blade right to his neck.

"We'll try this again, and this time, no stupid jokes, or monkeyshines, only straight and true answers, or else Carmen's coat will not be the only thing red around here."

A very frightened Zack looked over at Ivy. He gulped and turned back to Marauder. But before he could speak, she interrupted him. "No, I'd only be wasting my time with you. Perhaps I'll have more luck with the pretty one" she purred, turning her attention to the helpless Ivy.

"I-I-I-I'm not that-th-that pre-pre-prett-pretty" she stammered.

Marauder put the blade right to her neck, getting her head in close. "If you're smart, you'll answer my questions correctly and truthfully or you'll find yourself in a most painful predicament. Now, about your sudden rift with Carmen Sandiego?" she asked.

Zack and Ivy looked at each other, then at Marauder.

We cut to Carmen. The silence was becoming monotonous, and the two slowly drifted off to sleep in their respective chairs. Dash was completely slumped over while Carmen rested her face against a table right next to the chair she sat upon.

For nearly two weeks Carmen had been driving herself crazy thinking about what Julia had told her the night she rejected her. And the more Carmen thought the more it suddenly didn't really matter anymore. It all felt like smokescreen so she could forget about her attraction to Jules...right?

Now there was a part of Carmen that was dangerously afraid she had lost a friend to V.I.L.E.—no, scratch that, lost a crush to V.I.L.E. In his current position, Dash Haber would have told Carmen anything as long as she did him no more harm.

She could barely sleep, she could hardly eat, all she could think about for once in her life was her own mortality and shortcomings as a person in a way she never did before. I guess that figures, being raised on an Island that housed a school for super thieves doesn't give one much of a chance to stop and think about anything existential.

And the more these thoughts and feelings coursed through her head, the more she just wanted to say: screw it, and sleep. Dash seemed to be asleep as well and in Carmen's current state it didn't matter. She slumped in the chair, eyes shut.

"Wake up...Get up!"

Carmen felt the hard slap of a palm across her face and she awoke. As her eyes adjusted she gasped as her disembodied nightmarish alter ego Black Sheep stood in front of her. Carmen was stunned, this had to be a dream.

"Wh-what do you want? I-I'm not afraid of you! I know I'm a good person! I just...I'm just, I-I like—" Carmen tried to get the words out, but she froze when Black Sheep reached into her coat pocket and picked up what looked like a ghostly pistol. She aimed it right at Carmen's face.

"You'd better wake up unless you want to DIE!"

She fired and Carmen seemingly awoke, now sweaty. She caught her breath, realizing this had to be reality. But then, she looked forward to an allegedly sleeping Dash Haber. She saw some of his ropes were cut, and in his good arm Carmen looked at the hand where it was clear Dash was hiding a knife as she could see the tip protrude out from between his knuckles. He was pretending to sleep so not to arouse suspicion.

Carmen glared. This was what Dash was waiting for. If Carmen had slept through that Dash could have easily escaped or worse, make good on his earlier threat. Was all his this BS? Did Dash mean anything he said earlier? All Carmen knew was this rage within her and a presence compelling her to turn her head towards the table, where the pistol lay.

Carmen slowly reached out for the concealed carry weapon with her eyes trained to a seemingly sleeping Dash. Carmen slowly picked the pistol up and gingerly stood up from the chair, a very audible creaking noise was made.

Her handle on the gun seemed steady, and Carmen began to raise it towards Dash's face as she approached. She suddenly heard the disembodied and muffled shouts of "What? What are you doing! Stop! Don't do it!"

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK

Hearing the knocks Carmen snapped out of it. She saw she was standing up, a few feet from an awake and suddenly startled Dash as Carmen had the gun in her hands, and aimed it right between his eyes.

Carmen now saw she was dreaming before. And what was worse, now she was sleepwalking, and almost sleep-killing. The two said nothing but heard the knocking once more. Carmen put a serious face on and made the zip-eh-da-lip motion with her fingers, Dash nodded.

Carmen ran to the front door and checked through the peephole, relieved to see Shadowsan out front. She tapped her head against the door and huffed out a smile. She quickly holstered the gun behind her and opened the door up, pretending not to be excited to see Shadowsan.

"What kind of ninja knocks?" Carmen coyly asked.

"Well I am the one who knocks" Shadowsan coyly answered.

"I thought you hated impressions?" Carmen raised an eyebrow. Shadowsan walked in and Carmen closed and locked the door behind them.

"It was in case Player's GPS wasn't precise" he explained. He walked into the living room and saw the bound and injured Dash.

"Teach. Ooh, and looking cut I must say."

"Thank you, Dash" Shadowsan deadpanned.

"The look suits you, why not in red?"

"There's too much red around here" Shadowsan groused before turning to Carmen. "What happened to his arm?"

"Well, let me tell you, your little psycho—" Dash began before pausing. Carmen was behind Shadowsan and glared at Dash moving the pistol into view but obviously Shadowsan couldn't see. Dash took the hint and gulped. "There was a struggle, and I fell."

"You fell?"

"I fell a lot" Dash added.

Shadowsan turned to Carmen who kept the gun out of view. "He fell?"

"By the Seine. The pathway along it" Carmen explained which is not technically a lie.

Shadowsan knew better. "A lot of blood for a fall" he noted, seeing the dried blood all over Dash's jacket. "I need to talk to you" he said to Carmen, then walking to another room.

"What if he escapes?" Carmen asked.

"We'll hear him, and he won't get far" Shadowsan added. "Or I'll break the other arm" he threatened.

"Message received" Dash gulped.

Carmen walked into the next room, an office with all the furniture covered in dusty sheets. "I've been enabling you". Shadowsan blurted.

"What are you talking about?" Carmen asked, arms crossed and leaning against a dresser, cause she's so cool like that.

"You've been messing up lately, and I've been letting it go and telling you everything will be okay; justifying your depression and your current mental instability."

"I've been fine—"

"You are not fine!"

"Alright, this caper didn't go as planned, I admit, but I had good reason!"

"Okay, I'm waiting?" Shadowsan asked, also arms crossed. "What's the reason?"

Carmen froze. Dang, she wasn't expecting that. "He-Dash ambushed us" she lied.

"You've always been a bad liar, Carmen! What happened?"

Carmen sighed. "I wanted a name, and I guess I took too long or messed up somehow because he escaped and so did El Topo and Le Chevre who now have Zack and Ivy, happy?"

"Thank you. Now give me the gun" Shadowsan held out his hand.

Carmen was instantly taken aback but composed herself, not having time to process how he instantly knew somehow. "Wwwwwhat gun?"

Shadowsan had no time for games. "You can give it to me willingly or I will take it from you."

Carmen put up her hands. "Shadowsan, I promise you, I don't have anything."

Shadowsan rolled his eyes and made a loud and unrelenting sigh. He should have seen that coming. Without warning he charged at Carmen, grabbing her by the collar and pinning her to the wall. "Hey!" she struggled.

Carmen tried to break free while Shadowsan fumbled around one handed for the gun. After Carmen nearly pushed him away, Shadowsan got a handle on it and grabbed it from behind Carmen's back. He released from her and backed away as the two eyed one another. Carmen was out of breath.

"Where did you get this?" Shadowsan demanded. "And don't tell me you found it!"

Carmen sighed, Shadowsan wasn't playing around. "In Boston."

"Figures. Who?"

"Does it matter?" Carmen sneered. "It's an unregistered firearm—"

"And if a police officer finds this on you, you get two years minimum!" Shadowsan shouted. "And how long before A.C.M.E. indicts you or-or-or V.I.L.E. spirits you away to be reprogrammed! What were you thinking!?"

Carmen paused. She really wasn't thinking. At the time, she needed it, then she decided to keep it and was able to get information out of Chief. But other than that, she really didn't need it...right?

"You weren't thinking. And that's my point" Shadowsan said in a marginally slower and calmer voice. "I know you want to succeed in our shared goals but it's mistakes like this that are costing you. I know this is taking its toll on you and behavior like this is exactly what is going to make it worse! You shot him, didn't you?"

"There was a struggle, he shot himself" Carmen defended.

"Debatable!" Dash called from outside, obviously eavesdropping...but who wouldn't?

"What did you need this for? You were paying a debt?" Shadowsan asked.

Carmen sighed. "I was alone with no ground support and no nothing, about to walk into an unfamiliar place! He-he-he's not just some shy, he's a captain in the Mafia! They make people like us disappear for a living! I didn't want to take the chance I couldn't trust them, ya know, from one criminal to another?"

"Fine, but why keep it? I'm sure whomever gave this to you didn't intend on you returning it?"

"I-I...I felt...I felt safer with it" Carmen admitted.

"Did you harm anyone else?"

"No!"

"Car—"

"I'm not lying! I've told you before, this is MY outfit and I'll run MY outfit the way I see it! You're not my father, Shadowsan!"

"Well somebody has to be!" he fumed.

Silence. The two glared at one another while the awkward was so thick you could cut it with a proverbial knife. Carmen was so embarrassed. But, so was Shadowsan. He had promised Carmen he wouldn't step on any toes and here he was pulling rank which he didn't have.

"It haunts me, for what happened to him. When I brought you to the island you know that I vowed not for you to follow in his footsteps. But I guess some things fell between the cracks. You grew up too quickly Carmen, and now I fear you're in over your head. I wasn't there for you when you needed me."

"This isn't a reflection on your quasi-parenting, Shadowsan. She was going to kill Ivy—or at least seriously injure her. V.I.L.E.'s done some dirty tricks but they're doing more than threatening to brainwash us, they'll stop at nothing to succeed, even if it means taking lives. This-this was just a precautionary. Just until Marauder is captured, then I throw it in the bay, I swear!" Carmen promised.

"And what if she can't be captured? What if she does not wish to go alive? I don't care if it's a dictator or the mailman, do you really have it in you to take someone else's life?" Shadowsan asked.

Carmen hung her head. Did she? I mean, if it weren't for Shadowsan she may have killed Dash accidentally in her sleepwalking stupor. God, now there was yet another ethical quandary to Carmen's dilemma.

But yet, she had resolve, and she knew come hell or high water, Marauder had to pay. Carmen nearly lost Zack and Ivy once and she was not about to let that happen again. If it came to it, Carmen didn't want to take the chance.

"If it's hers, then yes. There's too much at stake and Marauder has murder on her mind."

"You've never taken a life, I have. You will never be the same again" Shadowsan explained, shedding a single tear.

Carmen clenched her fists. "If it's me, or her—"

"You're too smart for this, Carmen" he said approaching her and putting a hand on her shoulder. "It wasn't just the life of thievery I didn't want for you, I didn't want you to have to even need the option to kill. You know there is another way. I know you are angry, but killing is something you cannot walk away from, something you cannot rewind. You will regret it for the rest of your life. I will not let you make that mistake."

Carmen tried to smile as she wiped a tear from her eye. She leaned up and wrapped her arms around Shadowsan, supposedly to give him a hug, which seemed like a much longer hug than usual. Carmen released.

"Maybe you're right."

"So you will find another way?" Shadowsan asked.

"Definitely" Carmen nodded. The two shared a smile, but Carmen's smile seemed like it was more of a smirk...a rather mischievous smirk.

We cut to the mischievous smirk of Marauder who had just finished hearing Zack and Ivy's dissatisfaction with Carmen. Paper Star was still sitting nearby, scrolling through her phone and making more origami shuriken.

"So, you two have been used by Carmen?"

"I'd say she treats like amateurs who always need her help" Ivy reiterated.

"I too know where you coming from" Marauder began. "Fortunately, I had friends looking out for me. I had a way out, perhaps we could work something for you both?"

"You mean join V.I.L.E.? Willingly? Fat chance" Ivy boomed.

"Yeah, and besides, we'll get over it, eventually" Zack added. "We just gotta prove to Carm that we're just as formidable as she is."

Paper Star made an audible snort. "I must second my unruly partner's outburst" Marauder agreed. "You two are far from Carmen's potential, but perhaps that can be changed, with the proper training."

"Sounds painful" Ivy gulped.

"It is" Paper Star deadpanned. She sat up. "You've seen Coach Brunt, right?"

"I still have the burns" Zack cringed.

"Imagine that while she's yelling at you" she continued.

"If you want us to join up, this ain't helping" Ivy scoffed.

"I'm trying to help you both, because your options are quite limited" Marauder continued, pacing around their chairs. "You may join V.I.L.E. on your own accord, or on ours. At least you'll have your sentience if you join up on your own."

"Forget it, crazy. Carmen will save us and haul you and your demented friend here off to the slammer, where you belong" Ivy confidently spouted.

"We'll see about that. And how can you both be certain Carmen will come for you? If she even knows where you are?" Marauder asked.

"She'll find out, she's wicked cool—right, still mad at her" Zack recoiled.

"I have a hunch she'll leave you both in the dust" Marauder snickered. She then felt a buzz and took her communicator from her belt. "I'm dreadfully sorry I have to take this call. Paper Star will keep you both company until I return" Marauder explained before heading for the door.

This suited Paper Star just fine. She perked her head up and smirked while the twins had looks of pure anguish, despair, and fear. She started to lazily throw her shuriken in their direction but missed...though they were forced to turn their heads to dodge.

Marauder walked into the next room where El Topo and Le Chevre waited. They listened in on the call, it was The Troll. "The Troll. Report" Marauder ordered.

"Okay, it was an exhaustive search but there is but one A.C.M.E. operative that fits your description. I could only get a name but from my mad hacking skills I was able to discover the last known address and a few other goodies. Former field agent Vivian Hanna, maiden name Yung. Born in Manchester, former MI6 joined A.C.M.E. at its conception retired four years ago. Married Vincent Hanna, retired Los Angeles Police Department homicide/robbery detective, her second marriage, his fifth."

"Fifth, by that point, it is you amigo, not them" El Topo shook his head.

"Hanna, that name sounds familiar" Marauder mused.

"Yeah he was the guy who took down Neil McCauley back in the 1990's, they made a movie about it called Heat. Al Pacino played Hanna" The Troll explained.

"You have an address?" Marauder asked.

"In fact I do! They live in some Podunk town in the literal middle of nowhere...hold on..." he clicked away. "753 Snafu Drive, Gravity Falls, Oregon."

"Dispatch a crew to abscond with her, and make sure they're discreet and that Hanna isn't around, we want this to be covert..." Marauder then paused. "Wait a second" she then surveyed the room. "Who is our best forger?" Marauder asked the brain trust.

"Roundabout" the two said in unison.

"Definitely Roundabout" The Troll agreed.

"Excellent. We shall have him forge a letter in Vivian's handwriting that she is leaving Hanna."

"What? Why?" El Topo asked.

"You said so yourself, El Topo: by the fifth marriage it isn't her, it's him. And this'll provide the perfect cover story for her "leaving" and no longer wishing to live a second life of a homemaker when she can be a career criminal."

"Right! That way it looks plausible to everyone involved that she is you?" Le Chevre guessed.

"Precisely."

"Diabolical" El Topo mused.

"Slight caveat" The Troll said raining on their parade. "While she bears a striking resemblance to Marauder, her hair is a bit longer and in kind of a blowout you see here, and the kicker: she's at least fifteen years older than you if not twenty" The Troll explained blowing up the photo of Vivian he found on screen.

"It matters not. No one besides Chief knows my secret anyhow and soon, there won't be anyone on this earth that will be able to stop us" Marauder snickered.

SEATTLE WASHINGTON 1305 HOURS

Chase was doing everything he could to avoid Anthony, in the operation meeting he kept it as short and sweet as he could and left before Anthony could walk in. Chase was feeling really low, not to mention embarrassed; not only about his outburst with Anthony, but also his embarrassment of being routinely humiliated by his enemies, and his ego was drowning in this very sad dose of reality.

He adjourned to his office, fruitlessly typing away at some old CCTV footage of Carmen's old heists. Ah, the good ol' days. He decided to check his email for a slight break in the nostalgia and of course, the breaking news came in.

"What?" he asked quizzically.

There were two emails from "Chief" on her official letterhead, but you already knew that. The one was about her abrupt absence from work that day, explaining she didn't feel safe knowing Marauder could still be among them and as the leader of A.C.M.E. her life would be the most in jeopardy. So "Chief" decided to work from an undisclosed location and send in her orders via email.

The next email was of course the picture of Vivian Hanna while "Chief" explained that their intelligence had exhausted all possible leads and have good reason to believe Vivian is in fact Marauder. Chase was thrilled. For all the talk about Julia being this diabolical villain out to destroy him and Carmen Sandiego at all costs; it now seemed that all that was for nothing. Chase quickly threw his blue blazer back on and was about to sound a mission alert to find Vivian.

As he was about to leave, his dismay and shattered ego returned when Anthony stood in the foot of his door, no longer with his get well goodies. "Hey, look—"

"Now is not the time, Agent Falco!" Chase boomed.

"Uh, actually it's the perfect time because I'm guessing you got both emails, correct?"

"In fact I have!"

"So you know this is a crock of horse puck-y, right?" Anthony asked.

"What are you talking about? This is from Chief's official letterhead! You know the rules: any order can come from Chief remotely as long as it is via hologram or an email with these parameters!"

"Chase—"

"Annnnd your time was wasted thinking Marauder was little Argent, feast your eyes on the REAL Marauder!" Chase opened the Vivian picture.

"I admit, there is a similarity—"

"Ah-ha!" Chase interrupted him.  
"BUT, it would be logical except Chief just going missing with a formulaic excuse is not in her nature at all, AND, I know Vivian Hanna—I knew her back when she used her maiden name. Chase, it can't be her."

"Why not? Retired agent, could have a bone to pick with A.C.M.E., someone who knows the inter-mechanisms of the organization inside and out! And they look identical!"

"She retired years ago! Why would she have this blood-lust of a vendetta with you and Carmen Sandiego if you two never met her!?" Anthony demanded.

"To throw us off her trail, of course!"

Wh-WHAT!? Why? That doesn't make sense!"

"You don't make any sense!" Chase countered...not making any sense.

"You know what? Fine. I know where she lived last, if she's still there. Irene and I used to go and have barbeques before we had the kids. She lives in Oregon."

"Oregon, huh? The perfect location. Not too far away from headquarters so she, aka: Marauder could keep an eye on us" Chase postured. He started down the hall. Anthony was after him.

"So, can we discuss what happened at the hospital?"

Chase turned to him, he scowled. "There is nothing left to discuss" he hissed, then started to walk again. Anthony sighed, and continued on after him.

PARIS FRANCE 1456 HOURS

The twins were busy trying to undo all their entanglements, but this was no use. On the second floor below them, Julia was without her mask while joined by El Topo, Le Chevre, and Paper Star.

"Does anyone have any thoughts as to where on earth Carmen Sandiego may have taken Dash Haber?" Julia inquired.

"His hat signal went dead near the Seine" Le Chevre explained. "There's been no reports of any crime reported, except, someone made a report of a gunshot heard not far from where the signal was lost."

"Gunshot?" Julia asked raising an eyebrow.

"Could it be? Is Black Sheep strapped?" Paper Star asked.

"That's not Carmen Sandiego's brand. Not at all" Julia dismissed her. "It must be a mistake."

"Regardless, she can't admit him to a hospital, she would be arrested herself, and half of her colleagues are in our control" El Topo explained.

"The only place she could possibly take him to are V.I.L.E. safehouses. Nobody uses them. And Carmen, knowing her time at V.I.L.E. she may know where we still have a few."

"Are there any in that area, Le Chevre?" Julia asked.

"Only one, hasn't been used in years I would say."

"Perfect, I shall go and retrieve Dash Haber, while you remain here and defend our safehouse when she inevitably arrives" Julia ordered.

"Why do you make the orders?" Paper Star asked.

"Oh, if you have a better idea, please, enlighten us" Julia snarled.

Paper Star crossed her arms and glared. "I can't promise anything if it comes between me and her."

"Don't worry, you couldn't take her out anyway" Julia smirked, Paper Star sneered. "But no one will take her out, because we are going convince her two sidekicks that she will save her own skin if she's boxed in a corner...and I might know just how to pour it on" she lowered her mask, becoming Marauder. "I'll be stopping off at the Louvre really quickly, to finish what we started" She smiled before heading for the stairs, leaving the three quite perturbed.

SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA 0945 HOURS

We'll go back to earlier this morning. Gypsy was frantically counting money while looking over the electronic ledger, and hastily typing out emails when he wasn't doing that. Something was definitely wrong.

Who should nonchalantly stroll in? T-shirt and track pants, it was a sweaty Vincent, holding a plastic grocery bag with something in it. Gypsy turned to his partner-in-crime and was not amused.

"Where the heck were you!? I've been trying to call you for hours!" he fumed.

"I left my phone here, I told you I was going jogging" Vincent defended.

"For three hours!?"

"Sorry if I believe in physical fitness. Anyway, I passed the mall, went into Spencer's and picked this up for Carmen. Check it out" from the bag, the oblivious Vincent took out a plain white coffee mug with the words WORLD'S BEST BOSS written in basic font in basic black. "What do you think?"

"Michael Scott over here!"

"I know right. Is it weird to gift wrap something like this?" Vincent asked.

Ah, fongool the gift wrap! We got real problems here Vin!"

"Why, what's wrong?" Vincent asked, putting the mug on the kitchen counter.

Gypsy turned his computer towards him. "You know Alvin Reitman?"

"Refresh my memory."

"Marketing and Communications director for Netflix, one of our donors."

"Yeah, we sent their money, and they're sending it to Doctors Without Borders."

"No they're not! Not anymore! Look, they're being audited! IRS!"

"Holy cow" Vincent suddenly realized this was serious business.

"Specifically looking into "charitable" donations. It's not just them! Apple, NBC, Hillshire Farms, Mossberg! Same thing—and our charities, too! Audited!"

"Okay, that's it, we gotta pull the plug!"

"Three steps ahead of you, I've had our people moving the cash and withdrawing it as we speak from the banks they gave us. We should have all of it by the end of the day—hopefully."

"It's too dangerous to keep it electronically" Vincent said worried, opening his laptop and getting to work. "It's not going to take long before Black Sheep Inc. gets the audit axe next."

"I agree. But we can't stash it all here" Gypsy said, before having a brainstorm. "Wait! Don't you still got that old warehouse in Carlsbad, or whatever?"

"Escondido, and yes. Totally empty last I checked" Vincent nodded.

"Were back in business! We'll have our people load it all there, you know, until this blows over" Gypsy insisted.

"Yeah, until it blows over" Vincent gulped, taking out a burner phone and making a call. The two nervously got back to work, there was no time to waste. "Carmen's gonna kill us."

"Yeah, forget about that, she'll kill us more if we all get pinched"

"Good point" Vincent nodded, getting right to work.

GRAVITY FALLS OREGON 1527 HOURS

We take you now to a different network, to this fictional town in Central Oregon where anything ordinary never happens. It's a place with weird things, supernatural anomalies, and talking gnomes.

At this rustic log cabin at the rural 753 Snafu Drive, a woman was pouring herself a cup of tea with a lemon wedge. This was Vivian Hanna, nearly late forties, who was about to go to her living room to sip her tea and watch Dateline, because the Matlock reruns ran after dinner.

As she was about to watch some Chris Hansen, she heard a rummaging noise in the kitchen. The veteran agent was suspicious, but her suspicions waned slightly in retired life, especially after moving to this strange town. So she called with cautious optimism.

"Honey? V? Is that you?" she spoke in a light Manchester accent. She got up and went for the kitchen and gasped upon seeing our favorite New Zealander sitting at her table sipping tea. Mime Bomb was standing nearby, sipping an imaginary cup of tea...how does this guy eat?

"Ello there, my sweet. Allow me to introduce myself: The name's Neal, Neal the Eel that is. My silent friend and I would very much appreciate if you'd come with us."

"V.I.L.E., I presume?" the veteran agent asked. "I am retired. I have nothing for you."

"Oh, Mrs. Hanna you have us mistaken. See, it's not your information we desire...it's you" Neal ominously explained. Several faceless V.I.L.E. hench-guys emerged from the exit, Crackle Rods at the ready. "Right then, now, I much prefer the easy way myself, but if you'd like to go the hard way, I'm sure we'd all be happy to indulge you."

The camera closes in slowly on Vivian's face. Her expression going from stoic, to defeated. Glad Tidings by Van Morrison starts to play in the background, gradually increasing in volume as we cut on this old 1986 Jaguar XJ6 with its windows down, blaring the song on the radio.

Driving was a grizzled specimen of an Al Pacino facsimile if ever there was one, a man at best in his late sixties. This was Vincent Hanna, who we shall call Hanna as we have a Vincent of our own already.

He happily drove down the road, stopping at a red light. A beat up pickup truck pulled up to the lane next to him. The driver, was a portly Hispanic man dressed in a tacky three piece suit and a red fez on his head with a weird symbol on it. This was Jesus Ramirez, who went by Soos.

"Soos me boy!" he called in a gravely grizzled New York accent.

"Hey Mr. Hanna-dude, how's it hanging?" Soos called in a dopey voice.

"Oh, I'd complain. But who'd listen?" Hanna chuckled.

"I'd listen!"

Hanna's smile briefly faded. "Yes, that's what we call a joke, Soos. I still love ya, you goofy idiot."

"Same here!"

"Hey, what are you and Melody doing tonight?" Hanna asked.

"Oh the usual, watch Better Call Saul, eat off-brand cornflakes, talk about our sandwich shop idea where the bread is the meat."

Hanna was once again dumbfounded. "Don't let that one get away, whatever you do."

"Ha-ha, everyone keeps telling me that."

"Heed their advice, man! But seriously, yous two come over, Viv and I we'll get a bottle of vino and play some penuckle—c'mon hey, you like penuckle" Hanna insisted.

"I do, I never remember how to play."

"Again, that's why I love ya. When do the two Stans come home from wherever, huh?"

"Tomorrow night."

"Well listen, I bought a mean charcuterie board today, we are going to break into that, drink some wine, play some penuckle and complain about our neighbors. How's that grab you?"

"The perfect small-town evening" Soos chuckled.

"And how. See you at seven?"

"Absolutely" Soos said before the light turned green. "Hey-hey, tell Viv I said hi!"

"Tell her yourself when you see her!" Hanna called before riding through the intersection. "And tell your Abuelita, I'm flattered but spoken for!" he jokingly called.

Hanna drove up to his house, where there was an eerie and foreboding presence. But, he was high on life and too happy to notice. He finagled all three grocery bags in his hands, singing along to the song.

"And we'll send you glad tidings from New York" he hummed.

The song slowly faded as Hanna staggered inside. The foreboding presence started to feel real as his old man body slowly moved towards the kitchen. "Viv! Hon it's me! Hello? Honey. Yo, Vivian! Hey, I ran into-I ran into Soos at that red light on Hirsch and Main! Him and-and Melody are coming over for penuckle! I'm gonna go pick up a bottle of that Chardonnay, the one from that vineyard near Astoria! Viv!?"

Hanna walked into the kitchen, he plopped the bags on the counter before his eyes instantly turned to what looked like a note sitting on the kitchen table. "Vivian where the f—" he stopped when he saw this strange piece of paper sitting on the otherwise clean kitchen table. Hanna looked quizzically at the note and his cop senses started tingling. He looked around, Vivian was nowhere to be seen...

PARIS FRANCE 1622 HOURS

Carmen and Shadowsan were eating lunch and occasionally feeding Dash. Carmen was letting Shadowsan in on the plan to save Zack and Ivy. "No prisoner exchange?" Shadowsan asked.

"I vote for prisoner exchange!" Dash chimed in.

"Tough. That ship sailed when you guys decided to drive us insane" Carmen quipped.

"What did you have in mind? Do you even know where they would be holding Zack and Ivy? If they are even still in Paris?" Shadowsan asked.

"They are, because they probably know we have Dash or at least they assume Dash is missing. And I remember eavesdropping on some V.I.L.E. chatter a heist or twenty ago. Le Chevre was bragging about this plasma TV he stole and stashed it in a loft with great surround sound. I happen to know of only one V.I.L.E. safehouse in Paris with a loft. And if I know my former schoolmates, they are just as predictable" Carmen explained.

"Am I to assume I am on babysitting detail?" Shadowsan asked.

"I do love it when I don't have to explain myself" Carmen smugly mused, suiting up in her coat and hat.

"You sure you're okay?" Shadowsan asked.

"I am f—"

"I mean it! They will definitely be expecting you. This is no time for second guesses and reckless behavior!" he warned.

"Trust me, I will handle it. We will get the twins, apprehend Marauder—cause you know they've dispatched her by now, and drop her and Dash off at the local gendarmerie and we are home by...breakfast tomorrow."

There was some silence while Carmen checked her equipment, trying to make sure one pocket was out of Shadowsan's view. She had given him the footnotes on her revelation into her problems beforehand.

"So, what you told me, how are you feeling about it?" he asked.

"Pretty good. I guess I am an overzealous person, but at least I have some kind of reason for the way I was acting. Not that I's inexcusable."

"What if you find Argent, and she wishes to join?"

"Lately? I doubt that. But it would be nice. Hopefully if she would ever forgive me" Carmen blushed.

"Awwww, still in love" Dash playfully sneered.

"Yeah, fine. I like Julia Argent. I wish to be in a relationship with her. Everyone happy? Good. I'm off. And don't worry, no operative's used this safehouse in years—since I went through V.I.L.E. Academy the first time. It's possible no one will even show up."

"If they do, I'll be ready" Shadowsan nodded. "Just remember, think before you act!"

Carmen sighed, she was just about to leave. "Don't you think I know that? I'm still not a child. I will handle this."

"Nobody is doubting you. It's just a reminder."

"It doesn't need to be said! I get you're looking out for me, Shadowsan, but I can take care of myself!"

"And a fine job you've done so far!" he motioned to the wounded Dash.

"You just have to do it. Always with the "father-knows-best" routine, huh? If you want a kid so badly, have one of your own, because as much as you'd like to think of me as your daughter, I'm not! Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go prove to Marauder just what I'm made of!" Carmen boomed before dramatically slamming the front door behind her.

"Well, that went well" Dash sarcastically shrugged. An exasperated Shadowsan grabbed a baguette from the table and pelted him with it in the face.

Outside, Carmen sprinted down the sidewalk and slid into a nearby alleyway, however we see this from an aerial view from above a row of apartments nearby...meaning somebody was watching her leave.

Over to Le Chevre's safehouse loft...which was actually a three story flat—we call that a condo or a brownstone, El Topo, the aforementioned Goat Boy, and Paper Star huddled around a communicator while The Troll was on-screen.

"Okay, did everyone procure the flash bang grenades?" The Troll asked. Three heads nodded. "Smoke bombs?" more nods. "Okay, and I've tapped into your surround sound system inside the flat so we can broadcast the "gendarmerie" storming the building."

"What's the point?" Paper Star asked. "A lot of work to maybe turn those two numbskulls against Sandiego. Dr. Bellum can brainwash them into doing whatever we want."

"It worked for Marauder" El Topo shrugged.

"I still say it's a bunch of work for maybe nothing, but what do I know?" a sarcastic Paper Star rolled her eyes.

"Now we just sit and wait" The Troll said leaning back in his computer chair.

"Easy for you to say" Paper Star muttered.

BATTLE CREEK MICHIGAN 0834 HOURS

Slight break in the action as we take you back to earlier in the Great Lakes state. Chief had been brought to the makeshift dungeon in the basement of the factory, which was once a place of cobweb infested storage was now converted into a cell block of sorts. Chief's cell was your standard nine by twelve with an uncomfortable cot, sink, and toilet.

She heard footsteps approach while she laid on the cot that someone clearly stole from a sporting goods store. She leaned her head up to see Tigress standing outside her cell with a tray of food-like slop.

"Not hungry" Chief deadpanned.

"Well, it's here if you want it" Tigress said before sliding the tray through the slit in the bars on the floor. She stood there for a moment before leaving, and Chief took notice.

"They could've sent any knockaround to feed me. Why send you?"

"I had nothing better to do" Tigress lied.

"Don't lie. You want advice...or, are you interested in my deal?" Chief asked.

Tigress looked around, nobody was around to see or hear and the cameras in the cell block were not equipped to monitor audio. "Of course I am. I dunno, seeing how close death can hit you...it like, took its toll, or something."

"But you still won't go without Julia?"

"I love her. I'm shaken but I will go on. Just not without her."

Chief sighed. "You really do love her, huh?"

"Totally."

Chief sighed again, sitting up on the edge of the cot. "You have to understand, despite my pettiness, it won't be easy. She's done way too much not to do any time. I can personally write her all the 5K letters I can. But there isn't a snowballs chance in hell that Argent won't see the inside of a federal prison for these crimes, even for a few years. Anything short of a Presidential pardon, she will go to jail. Can you live with that? Can you wait for her?"

Tigress thought for a brief moment but then crossed her arms. "Yes. Yes I can."

Chief sighed, then shrugged. She picked up the tray and used the spork to mix her slop. "Well, good luck."

"Does that mean yes?" Tigress asked.

"It means good luck. If you can swing her."

"I am pretty persuasive."

"I'm sure you are. Tell you what, I have a lot of sway in the Justice Department as you can very well imagine. I may be willing to put my reputation on the line and heavily vouch for Argent if say someone could feed and take care of my cat who I seem to have abruptly abandoned."

Tigress's interest: piqued. "You have a cat?" she asked with a hopeful inflection in her voice.

"Persian longhair."

"Awwww, they're so cute."

"Her name's Commander" Chief said, reaching into her coat pocket and tossing Tigress her house keys through the bars. "If anything is stolen, so help me I'll show you where your habeas ends and your corpus begins."

"Got it" Tigress nodded.

"I'm doing this for you because my soul is tainted, Tigress, it's not too late for you. And who knows, somewhere in the back of my mind maybe it isn't too late for Argent, but that's on you to make sure she doesn't do anything too unforgivable" Chief said ominously, staring longingly in the distance.

GRAVITY FALLS OREGON 1709 HOURS

We hear no sound, only Hanna running to his room and frantically looking for any sign of Vivian. A suitcase was missing, along with some clothes, a distraught Hanna knew what this meant. We cut to the kitchen, where Hanna sat at the table, half pint bottle of Popov vodka in hand; he was drinking heavily and reading Roundabout's forged note for the five hundredth time. Chief continued via voice over.

"Who knows what she'll do before she truly ruins somebody's life."

Suddenly, Hanna looked up and saw a shadow move past his kitchen window. He stood up, seeing another. His cop senses were off the charts. He swilled a mighty gulp of the super cheap spirit, taking out a concealed pistol in a holster in his pants. "Let's dance" he slurred.

He heard what sounded like people stacking outside of his front door. Hanna ran and opened it, running abruptly outside, almost tripping. Vodka in one hand, pistol in the other...a great combination for unmitigated and unintended disaster.

There standing were a few A.C.M.E. agents, Chase and Anthony among them. He surprised them, taking everyone off guard. "What are you doing? Where did you—where did you gavones take my wife!?"

"Sweep the house!" Chase ordered, several agents entered.

"Yes sir!"

Chase walked over to Hanna who took one last swig, the bottle now empty. It was clear Hanna posed little threat against the sober agents. "We have a search warrant!" Chase boomed, sloppily shoving the copy of the warrant at Hanna who crunched it aside.

"She left me. She freaking left me!"

"Who did?" Chase asked.

"Who—Halle Berry-who do you think? Vivian! My wife!" Hanna yelled, going for another swig, only to realize the bottle was empty. In a fit of rage he tossed it aside, and could barely stand up.

"Leave you, huh?" Chase asked, smugly turning to Anthony. "I think a case is coming together."

"V. What happened?"

"Falco? Is that you? Oh thank God, someone with brains—hey, tell Pepe Le Pew over here to wipe that smirk off his face before I wipe it for him!" Hanna shouted in Chase's direction.

"Alright! What happened? What do you mean Vivian left you?" Anthony asked.

"Yes, do enlighten us" Chase insisted with an eyeroll.

"I was getting some groceries—we were gonna have friends over tonight. Charcuterie, nice bottle of wine, some penuckle, then I come home, she's nowhere to be found, can't get a hold of her, and I found this!" he shouted waving the note. He was about to hand it to Anthony but Chase grabbed it, reading it first.

As he did, he started to smirk, as all this was exactly what he wanted to hear. "Well, well, well, I bet you look foolish now, Agent Falco! She admits she left this Al Pacino wannabe for a life of crime in V.I.L.E. as our nemesis, Marauder! See, I am not crazy!"

"What? That doesn't make any sense."

"You're telling me" Hanna slurred, waving his gun.

"Okay, V, you've been drinking" Anthony tried to take the gun from him.

"Isaac Einstein over here!" he slurred.

"That's Albert—never mind. Look, I know Viv told you what we do and Chief let that go because of your own past, clearly you know your wife as well as us had many enemies" Anthony explained. "Did Vivian say anything or do anything strange in the last few weeks?"

"Such as make clandestine phone calls, spend large amounts of money, disappear for hours at a time?" Chase smugly asked.

"Listen here Jacques Clouseau, I don't even know who you are but I have had it up to here with you! I know Anthony and I never met you, so stay out of my business!"

"He's technically my boss, V, anything you can tell me, you can tell him" Anthony said.

Hanna sighed. "We were doing so well. I laid off the drinking—a little. I quit coke. I even stopped drinking Coca-Cola. I swore when I retired I would shut off. No more crooks and evildoers in my life. Wife number five was gonna be it, I told myself. Now this! It doesn't make sense" Hanna said, starting to cry as he finished.

"So, she never left on strange hours, started to keep secrets?" Chase asked.

"You got dirt in your ears!? Of course not! This was completely out of the blue! Who would take her? Those-those villain-thieves or whomever?"

"I think it was V.I.L.E. yes. As I see it, it's the only logical explanation."

"Where was she last night?" Chase asked.

"What are you getting cute with me, huh? In our bed, asleep! She didn't sleep so good the night before so she took one of my Ambien, knocked her right out."

"But you slept too, and you cannot say accurately she was there" Chase insisted.

Hanna sighed. "If you'd quit interrupting me, Louie LeBeau, I'll continue. We've been having a bear problem in our vegetable garden out back. I didn't take an Ambien, but I heard something outside. I checked, and it was nothing. I couldn't fall back to sleep and went to the living room, drank a glass of warm milk, watched two episodes of M*A*S*H and one TJ Hooker, went back to sleep, surprise-surprise, there's Vivian, peacefully sawing logs."

"When was this?" Chase asked.

"About two in the AM."

"Oh, 2:00 AM, huh?" Anthony rhetorically asked, stunning Chase, as that was definitely around the time he was doing battle with Marauder.

"It can't be" Chase shook his head. "Are you certain?"

"You calling me stupid or liar? YES! We have one staircase which is visible from the living room and that house creaks like a leaky ship! Maybe an hour and a half, two tops I didn't see her, and I mean tops."

Chase shook his head. Now he looked more foolish than ever. He couldn't believe it. This seemingly easy ace in the hole, seemingly from Chief's intelligence seemed to be incorrect...and as per his usual, he took the bait. Chase walked away while Anthony followed him.

"Chase, wait! Wait!"

"Leave me alone, Anthony!"

"Chase! Listen to somebody else for a change!" he uncharacteristically yelled, turning Chase around. He reached into his coat pocket, taking out the Faberge Egg he found at Julia's apartment, handing it to Chase. "Chase, listen to me, you know what this is?"

"Mmm-hmm, a giant novelty egg."

Anthony facepalmed, and sighed. "It's a Faberge Egg, one of its kind, priceless!"

"This sounds a lot like dull facts and boring things. I'd sell it for thirty Euro" Chase said dismissably and carelessly tossing the egg back to Anthony who caught it in time.

"I found it. I was trying to tell you in the hospital, I stopped by Julia's apartment, she wasn't there, but I saw what looked like a struggle in the kitchen and this in her bedroom!" Anthony explained.

"What kind of a struggle?" an interested Hanna asked from nearby.

"Butt out, Michael Corleone!" Chase snarled, turning back to Anthony.

"Listen, this is hard for you to understand, I know. Chase, this was stolen a week ago total covert operation, who had already vanished from our organization at that time?" Anthony asked despite Tigress stealing the egg and not Julia. "I think she hacked our directory, found the closest facsimile to herself and had her kidnapped to ensure her and Marauder will never be in the same place and staged it to appear as though she's confessed and left V, alone."

"It can't be her!" Chase hissed. "It can't!"

"Yes it can! You belittle her! You're demanding! You dismiss people outfight and make fun of them for nothing! Nobody knows that better than Argent—who else could have a vendetta against you!?"

"SHE'S TOO NICE!" Chase boomed. "She's smart and she's affable, and she has two degrees! Someone that nice and kind whose been such a good friend can't be someone so evil! I couldn't have pushed her to a life of crime! I won't believe that!" Chase hissed, realizing he was yelling again. He turned away while Anthony stood there still stunned.

"That's right, Napoleon, walk away. You don't know you, but I can state categorically, if you are part as something elite as A.C.M.E., they're in some trouble, because you buddy, are pathetic" Hanna slurred to Chase.

That did it. Chase couldn't have felt lower and here was this guy yelling at him...semi-justifiably. Chase charged at Hanna who in his current state was undeterred. "Come on, tough guy! Let's go!"

Chase tried to throw a punch but slipped and Hanna, now knowing the extent of Chase's injuries kneed him right in the chest and Chase hit the deck.

"UGH!" he screamed in pain just as Hanna lost his balance and fell over.

"Chase!" Anthony ran over to help Chase up who was clutching his chest. As they got up, the agents awkwardly stood by the front door.

"Uh, Special Agent Devineaux? The house is clean" one agent finally had the courage to say.

"Special Agent, huh? Oh, you guys are screwed" Hanna said, getting up and dusting himself off. "Thanks for wasting my mother-effing time!" he fell weeping into Anthony's arms.

"It's okay V, it's alright. We'll find where they're holding her, it's alright."

"I tried, Tony. I really tried" Hanna wept.

"I know, I know. We will find her and stop V.I.L.E."

Hanna, drunkenly then wept in Italian. "Era mia moglie! L'ho amata! Ero pazzo di lei!"

Anthony shh-ed him, consoling his old friend. "Shh, la troveremo, Vincenzo. Ti ama moltissimo."

"Grazie Antonio, sei un amico meraviglioso" he then switched to English. "Who would do such a terrible thing?" Hanna rhetorically asked. "Who!?" he sobbed as Chase looked on at Hanna with a mixture of disdain and depression.

PARIS FRANCE 1748 HOURS

We cut onto an image of Marauder who was the one who saw Carmen leave earlier, she was at the back alley of the safehouse, and found the fuse box, she opened it up. "Perfect" she snickered.

Inside, Shadowsan was sitting in silence and Dash was too afraid to speak up and try to cut the obvious awkward tension. But before he could say anything, the power to the safehouse was automatically cut.

"Well, well, well. My rescue is here" Dash smirked.

Shadowsan immediately as a kneejerk reaction looked on his person for the gun, dismayed to discover it wasn't on him. Which is when he figured out Carmen had stolen it off of him in their earlier hug...revenge for Stealth 101 notwithstanding.

"That little—" he clenched a fist.

We cut to Carmen, smugly checking her coat pocket to confirm our suspicions. She is right across the street from the flat in question and she used her binoculars to look inside. She looked through the third story window and saw her two redheads inside.

"Too easy" she smirked. She used her grapple gun to swing to the other side of the street, while in the background Lion Skin by Hands Like Houses starts to play over this sequence.

Carmen landed on a ledge on the second floor as there was no good footing outside the third story windows.

She held herself up on the ledge, while using her lockpick to jimmy open the window and she summersaulted inside. Too easy indeed. Another cut to Shadowsan who elongated a collapsible Bo staff he brought with him. The room was dark and he attempted to go to the nearest window to open up the dark shades.

He heard a presence inside the apartment now, and it wasn't just Dash Haber. He felt the presence grow closer and closer. The wily veteran ninja stopped, trying to lure this foe into a false sense of security. He made an abrupt turn and kick while also smacking the assailant with the staff. Through a crack of light in the blinds, Shadowsan could see this was clearly Marauder.

"That's not bad" she mused and the two circled one another. "Pity you decided to switch teams."

"Pity for you" he deadpanned. He then made another lunge.

Back to Carmen, She tiptoed into the darkened flat, she turned a corner and she saw the kitchen, where El Topo was seemingly oblivious. Carmen sneaked up on him, readying her taser. El Topo tried to surprise he with a kick to the face but Carmen ducked underneath him and hit him with the taser right in the gut, zapping him to the floor.

"Is Paris burning?" he woozily asked before passing out. Carmen smirked and continued on into the kitchen and down the hallway.

Over to Shadowsan, Marauder was doing a few spin kicks, but Shadowsan learned from their previous encounter and was admittedly the better fighter between the two of them. He grabbed her by the ankle as she went for a kick and he threw her over his shoulder and across the room, right by Dash who was getting slightly worried that their best operative was getting her butt handed to her.

"Uh Marauder, not that I don't have any faith in you...but could you start you know, maybe doing better?"

"I'm working on it!" Marauder sneered. She made a roll for Shadowsan and threw some combinations at his face.

Cut to Carmen. She wall crawled through the hallway and turned a corner. Near the steps to the third floor was Le Chevre, again, seemingly oblivious. Carmen turned a corner and sprinted towards him, and before Le Chevre could react, she drop kicked him into the wall, and he fell to the floor, disoriented.

"Guess you're one of those fainting goats, huh?" Carmen coyly and sarcastically asked before jumping to the stairs, running up to her captive lackeys.

Next cut to Shadowsan who we see pin Marauder against the nearest wall. She was running low on options and couldn't kick Shadowsan away. With little recourse she leaned her head back and flung it forward, butting right into Shadowsan's face.

"Gah!" it was enough for him to release her.

She made a grab at his Bo staff, but Shadowsan pulled her in, and getting his revenge by headbutting Marauder he again lunged by ended up knocking them both over and Marauder was able to kick him over her body when she hit the ground. He recovered and gave her a neck chop when she lunged again, once again worrying Dash as Shadowsan was seemingly unscathed despite everything.

"Still not reassuring" Dash groaned.

Next over to Carmen, she found her way to the third floor. She spotted double doors at the end of the hallway, but who should come out of the woodwork? Why, none other than Paper Star who launched two origami shuriken at Carmen. She did a Matrix dodge and limbo-ed her way underneath them.

She rose to face her psychotic opponent. "What's the matter? No Marauder to break you out of a jam?"

"I don't need her to break me out of anything!"

Paper Star lunged, throwing more stars every time she would make a lunge and kick at Carmen. But the lady in red dodged most of her blows and tried to predict when she would try and throw another star.

As she was about to, Carmen threw out her hand, and grabbed Paper Star's wrist, throwing and slamming her against the wall. She fell on her back. "You might want to reconsider that" Carmen quipped.

She continued on, passing the room Paper Star emerged from. She peered in and to her surprise, it was a stolen bag of paintings. The very same ones V.I.L.E. was pilfering from the Louvre. What luck!

"Perfect!" Carmen went to grab the sacks of "priceless" art, and went to drag them down the hall.

And over to Shadowsan. He neck chopped Marauder to the ground and fell on top of her, pinning her to the floor. She tried to swipe at him. She broke free but Shadowsan tried to knock her in the face.

Marauder tried to push his face and neck away. Shadowsan responded by making another swipe, this time knocking her mask right off. Julia gasped and tried to turn her head as Shadowsan broke free of her hand to his face and got an incriminating look.

"It's you!" he gasped. "Argent!?"

"You peeked" Julia deadpanned. She kneed Shadowsan hard in the chest and socked him in the face, rolling off of him!"

"Ah!" he screamed.

He rolled to the floor and Julia rose to her feet, towering over him. "You'll soon see what V.I.L.E. does to traitors."

"The only traitor around here is you!" Shadowsan coughed.

"Nope. Still only you" Julia kicked him in the face one last time, knocking him out. She turned to Dash. "Satisfied?" she went to pick up her mask.

"All those weapons, you could've easily sliced him to smithereens."

Julia stammered. "In close quarters? I could've hit you. Last time I checked you wanted to leave here, alive. Now, we have to move!" Julia, now Marauder insisted, using a kukri blade to cut the ropes binding the wounded Dash. The two looked down at the knocked out Shadowsan.

"Oh the mighty Shadowsan. Not bad" Dash smirked.

"He's not so tough. Just like the soon-to-be-late Carmen Sandiego" Marauder smirked sheathing her blade. "Help me with him, the Cleaners will pick us up from the roof" they each grabbed a limb and pulled Shadowsan up the stairs towards the roof, as the song faded.

Back to Carmen. The double doors flung open, and Carmen dragged the paintings into the room, where she was delighted to see Zack and Ivy, still bound to the chairs, but now gagged. Camren ran over them.

"Zack! Ivy!"

Carmen dragged the paintings over and undid their gags. We then fade to a computer screen, a camera watching them. On the other side of this camera was The Troll, ready to set their gaslight plan in motion.

"And here...we...go!" The troll snickered while typing away at his keyboard.

Back in the room, Carmen untied the twins' gags. "I am so glad I found you guys."

"Yeah, thanks for breaking us out of a jam, Carm. Again!" Zack snarled with obvious sarcasm.

"Why so snippy?" Carmen asked.

Suddenly, they heard loud sirens that felt like they were right outside the apartment, in reality, Le Chevre's surround sound system that The Troll tapped into. A man with a French accent on a bullhorn yelled. "THIS IS PARIS METRO POLICE! YOU ARE SURROUNDED! SURRENDER PEACEFULLY OR WE WILL USE FORCE!"

Carmen gasped and tried to frantically untie Zack and Ivy who were very tied up, and with reinforced nylon ropes so they were hard to cut. The undaunted twins still wanted answers about Carmen's Boston caper she kept them out of.

"So anyway, Carmen, what's uh, what's this I hear you went to our old stomping grounds? Say, last weekend perhaps?" Ivy asked.

"What?" A stunned Carmen asked. "What are you talking about?"

"Le Chevre! He told me everything! Last week the day of the Smithsonian you send us out to eat so you can go out to Boston without us!?" Ivy boomed.

"Not to mention to pay our debt to Shark Head Eddie! Which we intended on paying him back!" Zack added.

"YOU HAVE 30 SECONDS!" the bullhorn called.

"I-I did no such thing—and who are you gonna believe? V.I.L.E., or me—"

"Come off it, Carm!" Zack bellowed.

"Player told us everything" Ivy scorned.

Carmen hung her head. Crud, her own reliable hacker squealed on her. But Carmen had no time, she tried to untie them both. "In the first place, you're welcome! Second place: do you two have any idea the interest you racked up? I had to do some fancy footwork just to convince Eddie to settle your debt."

"Oh riiiiiiight, cause we can't take care of it ourselves? You treat us like were idiots! Amateurs!"

'It's not that, Ivy! I wanted to help you guys out!"

"You're always helping us out! We wanted to be adults and do this for ourselves!" she continued.

"I just wanted to do something nice for you both!"

"Why this? Why now?" Zack asked.

"This really isn't the time, Zack. We can talk about this later!"

Suddenly, they heard the sound of the front door being kicked open and boots were stomping just two floors below them. Carmen couldn't get them untied, it was no use. She leaped in front of them.

"Look, we can talk about this later! I can't untie you guys."

"What!?" Both twins boomed.

"But Carm!"

"Look, it'll be better if the police get to you both. They can't even hold you two because you're hostages."

"But what about A.C.M.E.?" Zack asked. "If word gets to them, we're toast!"

"Trust me! I will get you both out! It'll be fine. You just have to trust me."

"Carmen, you're-you're gonna let us take our chances with them?" Ivy asked.

"They won't even arrest you, I'll be just a block over and I can—" Carmen backed up and tripped over the sack of paintings and some spilled out. One frame was on its back and Carmen then saw a sticker, selling this "painting" for fifteen Euro. "Erg! Bait and switch!" she sighed.

"Carm!"

"Carmen! Are you even listening to me!?" Ivy sneered, tears in her eyes.

"I promise I will—"

The doors then flung open and two smoke grenades were tossed in. "Smoke!" Carmen yelled as the grenades exploded. She assumed this would be followed by the gendarmerie. She ran for the doors and made a few front flips assuming she would be leaping over multiple bodies.

When she landed in the hallway, the smoke cleared, and there was nobody there.

"Hey? What was—"

Carmen then got smacked towards the stairwell, it was Paper Star, smirking wickedly. Carmen fell on her back down a few steps and slowly crawled back down towards the landing while Paper Star stood at the top of the steps.

Outside the flat, the V.I.L.E. chopper flew above, and a rope came down, and sliding down it was Marauder, back to finish what she started. The rope slid down next to a window and She crashed through it, staring at the smoke filled room which was clearing. She smirked seeing the twins in defeated anguish, stunned that Carmen was going to leave them.

"Hmm, it looks like your boss really doesn't value you both, now does she?" Marauder taunted them. "Can't say I did not warn you" she turned her head to the doors and saw Paper Star with her back to the door at the top of the stairs. Marauder smirked. She turned to the shocked Zack and Ivy.

"I'll be right with you both" she said going into the hall. "This is long overdue."

From Carmen's point of view, she could see Paper Star reach for another shuriken. Carmen had her hand in her coat pocket, hand gripping the pistol. "And now to stain these lovely walls with your blooooooooo!"

Paper Star couldn't finish as she was pushed off balance and down the stairs. Carmen moved out of the way as Paper Star hit every stair on the way down to the landing, hitting her head against the hard wall.

Carmen got a good look at her, then looked at the top of the stairs and got wide-eyed as Marauder was now standing there. "Let's face it, nobody really liked her anyway. Just like you, Carmen Sandiego!"

Marauder aimed her wrist laser but Carmen ducked back down the stairs just in time. She could hear Marauder run after her and try to fire down the stairwell, getting some very close shots. Carmen sprinted to the first floor and out the front door. She drew her gun and ran through the streets into an alleyway with Marauder close behind.

Carmen hid behind a dumpster, now clutching the pistol close to her. She could hear Marauder's footsteps. Carmen wanted to fire! She wanted to, but she had a million and one things flowing through her head, and in this frame of mind who knows what she could do? It was one thing when her mind was playing tricks on her, but this was something else. Tears dripped from her eyes. Carmen's blood boiling.

"Don't worry about your crew, Carmen!" Marauder called. "We'll take great care of Zack, Ivy, and Shadowsan...just like we'll take care of you."

Murder was in Carmen's eyes. She looked down and to her right. The sewer, a way out. Carmen dropped to her knees and forced the cover open, darting down inside just as Marauder tried to surprise Carmen. She jumped down too.

Inside Paris's famous sewer, Carmen sprinted down the tube. Getting some distance she looked back, and saw a shadow being cast at the entrance. Carmen turned to face Marauder, who was completely dark the way the light was shining on her.

Carmen narrowed her eyes, her left one twitching. After some deep breaths, Carmen paused. Here was the perfect person to take her anger out on. "GAH!" She aimed the gun and followed all the remaining rounds, finally stopping after the gun clicked the action forced back. Carmen looked, her shaky aim caused her to miss every shot.

Marauder then aimed the laser and barely missed Carmen, shooting a hole through the side of her coat. Carmen then took off down the sewer. Marauder remained in the light and shouted. "You have no idea what you've just unleashed! Your days are numbered! Do you hear me!? But we'll meet again! Mark my words! Sooner than you think! Au revoir, Carmen Sandiego! Au revoir!" Marauder called She walked back into the light and moved her mask up. Julia leaned against the wall, we see tears forming but she takes a deep breath and composes herself before she climbed back up the ladder.

From another sewer cover, Carmen crawled out, right by the Seine. She fell against the wall of the nearest building to catch her breath. She held the pistol in her hand, and sobbed uncontrollably.

SEATTLE WASHINGTON 1943 HOURS

A despondent Chase returned with his crew to A.C.M.E. Not a word was exchanged between him and Anthony, with Chase stonewalling every attempt Anthony made to try and talk with him.

He sat back at his desk, feeling more hopeless than ever. Now everyone thought of him as a laughing stock. A joke. He wanted to believe this Vivian Hanna was Marauder and all the circumstantial evidence pointed to her. Yet, Chase didn't know for sure, and it was killing him.

He was in pain, and felt like a colossal failure. He ran his hands on his face and looked at his semi-broken keyboard.

In another fit of rage and frustration he shoved everything off his desk. He sat back down, and looked at his reflection in the black mirror that was his blank computer screen on the floor. This wasn't him. And as far as Chase was concerned, it was obvious he was doing more harm than good to A.C.M.E. Everyone was right, from Marauder, to Chief, to Julia, to Hanna—anyone, he was pathetic, and a lousy secret agent. It all added up to him. The enemy did in fact control him...and largely, the enemy was within himself. With a heavy sigh he got out a piece of paper and picked up a pencil, and started a memo.

We cut to Chase slowly walking towards Chief's office. He passed Connors. "Special Agent Devineaux! We just got word the IRS is in the first stages of auditing the charities Carmen Sandiego gave the V.I.L.E. money to."

Chase forced a fake smile. "That's...good. But I want you and everyone to run through Agent Falco from now on, I'm putting him in charge of the operation" he explained patting a confused Connors on his back before walking to Chief's closed office door. She had a mailbox outside so people could send her in written complaints and such. Chase held up his letter, the words we see: MY RESIGNATION. Chase sighed and opened the mailbox, dropping the letter in he closed the box but kept his hand on the lever. He released, shoving his hands in his pockets, he slowly walked out of A.C.M.E. seemingly for the last time.

BATTLE CREEK MICHIGAN 1234 HOURS

We go back in time as the V.I.L.E. crew was returning from their successful outing in Paris. Le Chevre wheeled out a badly injured and comatose Paper Star from the plane while El Topo moved a still knocked out Shadowsan. Dash, still wounded hobbled out as well, while other agents handled Zack and Ivy. Marauder stood on the plane holding bags of the real paintings, she smirked at the twins as they were forced past her.

We cut to inside Tigress's room, where she was in some casual clothes, fixing her makeup. She glanced down at Chief's housekeys she laid on her dresser, thinking about the proposition. She heard a knock at her door and frantically stashed the keys.

"Uh, just a minute!" she stowed them just in time as a triumphant Julia entered, now out of her uniform and freshly showered.

"My darling" she said seductively, holding out a stolen Rembrandt. "This is for you."

"Hey, thanks. How was Paris?" she asked, giving Julia a kiss.

"Marvelous! Everything went perfectly!"

"Oh, did you...finish her?"

"I came this close" Julia sneered. "But it's no matter, we have the perfect bait to lure Carmen Sandiego into one final trap. Our next caper is the Broad in Los Angeles. They're doing an expose on recovered ancient Greek statues. She won't be able to resist."

Tigress sighed of relief. "So, she's still alive?"

"For now. But we are more alive than ever. Shall we nap? Or perhaps something a bit more romantic in nature, hmm?" Julia said enticing Tigress to come over to the bed with her.

Tigress gave a nervous smile and hopped into bed after Julia, and the two laid in each other's arms. "Soon, we'll get what we always wanted, Sheena...the end of Carmen Sandiego."

"Looking forward to it" Tigress said nervously. Somebody to Love by Jefferson Airplane started to play in the background as Tigress looked longingly at the ceiling while Julia too had on a brave face, she too was quite nervous. But the two looked at one another and feigned some happiness; they had each other, yet were now suddenly keeping secrets hidden. The song continued to play as the credits roll.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only two more left to go, everyone! I'm taking submissions for a title idea for the sequel. Leave a comment(s) with your choices and thanks for reading. I promise they won't get longer than that!


	14. Midnight Oil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As we wind down into the penultimate chapter: a distraught Carmen decides to hang up her hat but not before one last ditch effort to take down Marauder while having some very vivid and disturbing dreams and reexamining the remnants of her shattered empire, while Chase Devineaux has a few "visions" of his own while finally letting his arrogant and stubborn persona subside, while Julia gains much admiration from The Faculty as she continues to dive into a life of evil and mayhem.

SEATTLE WASHINGTON 2005 HOURS

We fade into a blurry image that adjusts itself, we see that it is Chase sitting in the back of yet another Lyft because Anthony still had his car and he was too embarrassed to even face him again. On Chase's lap was a CVS prescription bag. He looked out the window and saw gray clouds rolling in.

"Storm's a brewing" the driver said randomly.

"Huh?" Chase asked, his mind clearly elsewhere.

"There's a storm coming" The driver clarified. "So, you're French?" he asked trying in vain to make some small talk to try and belay the awkward.

"Oui" Chase sighed.

"Staying here long?"

"Actually I am returning soon. Unfortunately" he said, muttering the last part.

The screen splits as Chase looks longingly into the stormy Seattle sky. On the other screen we see a fast moving jet glide across the horizon, in a cut in that screen we see a distraught Carmen sitting near comatose on a couch in the fuselage.

OPEN SKIES 1854 HOURS

We cut to a full screen of Carmen, tears streaming down her face. She held her hat in her hands, looking upside down into the CARMEN BRAND OUTERWEAR logo. She set it aside, next to her now unloaded pistol. She glanced down to the lower duster of her jacket, seeing the laser hole in it, the sides singed and brown. She got a call on her laptop. She sighed and opened it. Of course, it was Player, who awkwardly tried to say something-anything.

"Um, Red?"

"Hey" Carmen said almost like a robot.

"Um...I'm sorry. I-I don't know what else to say."

"There's nothing to say, Player" Carmen sighed, tears falling down her face. "V.I.L.E. won. They won, and there's nothing we can do to stop them."

"Hey!" That's quitting talk!"

"I know. They got everyone: Zack, Ivy, Shadowsan...and if I know V.I.L.E., next time I see them, they're going to be mind-controlled zombies programmed to only steal for V.I.L.E." Carmen sighed. "And it's all my fault."

"Red, it's not your—"

"Yes it is!" Carmen snapped! "Don't you get it, Player? They beat us! I let my own selfishness and short-sighted goals get in the way! Now V.I.L.E. has our crew, AND the paintings! And that's just how Marauder wanted it! We can't win. They're too powerful now."

"Carmen...you-we can't give up!"

"Well I just did. I'm not putting anyone else I love in jeopardy."

"They'll never find me—"

"And what if they do!?" Carmen asked. "You have a family, Player. Zack, Ivy, Shadowsan, they knew the stakes, but you have more to lose. Besides, we can barely handle capers on our own. Now we have no Jules, A.C.M.E. on our tails, V.I.L.E. with the upper hand...that's it, I'm pulling the plug. I won't risk you! Or anyone else!"

"But, who will stop V.I.L.E?"

"Well, maybe I can still be of good use" Carman sighed, wiping some tears from her face. "Next caper we know they'll send Marauder to finish me off, considering I almost turned her to Swiss cheese today, so I'll make one last ditch effort, tell A.C.M.E. and anyone I can about it and make sure V.I.L.E. can't get away. Then, when I finally take down Marauder, if I'm still alive, I'm turning myself in."

Player's eyes widened. "Carmen! Are you nuts!? You'll go to prison!"

"Yes, but I'll cooperate. I'll give them everything I have on V.I.L.E. and hopefully if A.C.M.E. apprehends us, they'll be little V.I.L.E. can do to get to us first. They have reach, but not A.C.M.E. reach. Then we can unmask Marauder and get her to talk. It'll be worth it. Yeah, I'll be gone, and that much closer to Akari who I think still wants to kill me; but, it could mean the end of V.I.L.E. for good. And yeah, it's a risk I'm willing to take" Carmen said as Nice to Know You by Incubus started to play in the background. She then welled up again. "We had some good times, you and I. You were the first non-V.I.L.E. person I ever knew."

"It doesn't have to be over, Carmen. And besides, I think I may have some intel on who Marauder is. I was trying to tell you."

"Who?" Carmen asked her demeanor changing instantly, but still bracing for the possibility of it being Julia.

"I kept on inside A.C.M.E.'s databases—it's how I knew about Fort Knox, thanks to my new encryption software."

"You sure you're a white hat?" Carmen facetiously asked.

"Hey, A.C.M.E.'s not innocent. But this is important" Player then split his screen and revealed the phony letters as well as Vivian's face. "She was an A.C.M.E. agent. Vivian Hanna."

Carmen couldn't believe it. A near spitting image of Jules, a few features notwithstanding. But she sighed of relief, this confirming that it wasn't Julia...but yet, Carmen couldn't shake the feeling...

"She's been at A.C.M.E. for a while. Retired several years ago, she married a former Los Angeles homicide detective named Vincent Hanna" Player continued, clicking away at his keyboard. "Left no forwarding address in the file but I did some digging on detective Hanna. This guy's a legend, he's like Devineaux if he was insanely competent. Took down major crime rings including famed thief Neil McCauley—they made that movie about it like two decades ago, but he worked for three of the largest police departments in America, multiple commendations—"

"Thank you for the play-by-play Player, any locations?"

"Yeah, sorry. His last known address is: Gravity Falls, Oregon. I got some minutes here from an A.C.M.E. operation. Location was redacted but I know this was about finding Vivian Hanna. They found no sign of her but Hanna was there along with a confession note in Vivian's handwriting stating she was leaving Hanna and fully living a life of crime, confessing to being Marauder. When discovered, Hanna was described as: distraught, panicking, uncooperative, hysterical, heavily inebriated and still drinking."

"In short: he had no clue and this was a total shock?" Carmen guessed.

"Booyah" Player nodded. "All the evidence adds up except Hanna had an alibi to a Marauder sighting early last evening but other than the husband's word there's no concrete proof to back it up, and there's zero trace of her anywhere in the world."

Carmen clenched her fists. It all made sense now. That did it, that was Marauder...right? Carmen scoffed in her head. It seemed so perfect...almost too perfect, almost planned. Carmen wanted so desperately to believe it wasn't true. But there was one added wrinkle.

"I want so badly to believe that, Player" Carmen sighed, looking away. "But she made this so personal...I've never seen this woman before."

"We're talking about V.I.L.E. here Carmen. They could easily have fed her information about you and your past to try and make you believe it was someone you already knew to drive you insane. With all due respect, it's kind of working."

"Thanks for reminding me" Carmen snarled. "But why Devineaux? He's a literal representation of a guy slipping on a banana peel...repeatedly."

"Drive you both crazy" Player shrugged. "It's not like V.I.L.E. doesn't know who he is or his association with you."

"I guess" Carmen scoffed, still not convinced. "Any chance you can reroute me to Gravity Falls? I have to see this for myself."

"Sure, I got Hanna's address and there's a private airstrip...five miles away from there."

"Perfect" Carmen said before turning to the pistol next to her. "Player. I'm also going to need an Oregon Driver's License, I need to be over 21, no criminal history. Not even a parking ticket."

"Done and done. I'll get it printed to you, there's a UPS store there, The plates and holograms will be legit but you're gonna have to get some laminate."

"No problem. And thank you."

"I'm always gonna be here, Carmen. Remember that."

"Thank you, Player. Maybe someday we will meet again. Maybe on better terms" Carmen smiled before disconnecting the call. Her smile quickly faded. She sighed, looking at the laser hole in her jacket, sticking her fingers through it.

BATTLE CREEK MICHIGAN 1943 HOURS

We cut to Julia, inserting two fingers into two holes in her Marauder outfit. They were clearly from Carmen shooting at her. These were in the shoulder and barely missed Julia's skin. The raven haired double agent looked in awe. Carmen came this close to possibly mortally wounding her.

She turned, Tigress was fast asleep as the two took a nap after their stressful yet successful missions. Julia sighed, putting on her uniform. After an elevator ride or so later, Julia arrived to the quarters of Countess Cleo, who was sorting out some new stolen dresses.

"Ah, just the criminal genius I was looking for" she said when Julia was in view of her doorway.

"Countess, I beg to report there is an issue with my uniform" Julia said, motioning to the shoulder holes.

"We shall worry about that later. I was just about to send Coach Brunt for you. Come with me."

"Of course" Julia nodded and obediently followed Cleo out. "How is Dash doing?"

"He's a giant princess. But he will soldier on."

"I also regret to inform you that I failed to eliminate Carmen Sandiego."

"Fret not. It won't be the first time. Best we let her try to come after you. With no crew to protect her, she will make mistakes, hopefully fatal mistakes."

"Yes of course. And Paper Star?"

"Some broken bones, especially her jaw but she will survive too. You say she fell down some stairs?"

"A lot of stairs, actually" Julia reiterated her lie.

"What a simpleton. It's all that skipping she does" Cleo shook her head. "And I must say, that idea you had to frame and kidnap an A.C.M.E. agent who looks just like you is sheer genius."

"Now they will never suspect it is me. I owed it to you all as I had nearly been discovered and I failed to deliver Chase Devineaux to you."

"Are you kidding? We can't stop singing your praises. I'll show you" Cleo mused, stopping in front of Dr Bellum's lab. She pushed the doors open.

"There she is!"

There were endless cheers. The rest of the Faculty and several V.I.L.E. operatives were inside, weighing the small golden pellets from the Fort Knox heist. Everyone stopped briefly to congratulate Julia. Gunnar ran up to her, giving her that weird European cheek kiss thing.

"Ah, our shining star returns."

"Thank you, Professor."

Before Julia could finish, Coach Brunt ran over, practically knocking Gunnar out of the way to get her hug in...picture a grizzly bear crushing a toothpick and there you go.

"There you are! Come here Lambkins!"

"Just a light hug please, Coa—" Julia couldn't finish before she was engulfed in Coach's massive arms, nearly crushing her...with love. Brunt put her down, reaching to the floor and scooping up a handful of shrunken bullion.

"I can't believe you, and our answer to Catwoman stole all the gold from Fort Knox! Those rubes! Leaving half the country's gold supply in one convenient location! Ha! Stupid Roosevelt" Coach snickered.

"It'll take weeks to weigh and estimate the gold's worth" Dr. Bellum theorized, bag of Sour Patch sitting right next to her as she studied the gold.

"Won't matter anyway, once we extort the U.S. of A. to get it back, we'll have more money than God...and possibly Jeff Bezos" Brunt shrugged.

"Now if only we could get back the money stolen from us by our former Black Sheep" Roundabout mused.

"Why do you gotta be The-Duke-of-Buzzkill for, huh?" Brunt snarled. "We need to celebrate."

"Instructor Roundabout is right" Julia interjected, holding some of the gold in her hands. "A.C.M.E. is auditing the charities Carmen sent all the money to. I'm certain to save face and from the organizations being shut down she's recovering it all."

"I still can't believe that bleeding heart's giving all our hard earned-stolen money away to poor people" Brunt crossed her arms. "Poor People!"

"Without impoverished clientele, who will buy our schlocky goods at inflated prices?" a shocked Bellum asked.

"I won't hear of it" Cleo scoffed.

"But perhaps...perhaps, if I can meet with her, maybe I can convince her to let me watch over her money?" Julia suggested.

"That must be billions" Gunnar countered.

"And I thought in your cover you two weren't on speaking terms?" Brunt asked.

"She's asked my forgiveness before...maybe I can return the favor?"

"If you could, it would put us in better standing than we ever were" Gunnar boasted.

The doors opened, and the cleaners entered with comically stacked to-go boxes of pizza. "Pizza is here!" they called in their thick Russian accents.

"Finally!"

"I'm hungry!"

"It had better be from Molinaro's on 3rd and it had better be sausage and peppers!" Gunnar demanded as he, Bellum, Julia, and everyone else followed them out, leaving Brunt and Cleo alone.

"Save me two pies! I'm starved!" she called, about to leave, but Cleo stopped her.

"Quick question: what reward should we give to Marauder should she retrieve our money?"

"Well shoot, I'll give her the tracksuit off my back...but something tells me by that smirk you've got something else in mind?" Brunt queried.

"I was thinking something worthy of her skills. Let's face it, bar-none she is the greatest thief to pass through these halls. I dare say she's even better than Black Sheep."

"Why dare? She is better. But what are you getting at?" Brunt asked, crossing her arms and getting mildly impatient.

"I was thinking, should Marauder succeed in returning our funds, perhaps we need to...set an extra place at our table for dinner."

Brunt narrowed her eyes but then they widened, she knew what that meant. "I dunno, Cleo. She's so young, and she's barely been here."

"Shadowsan was a first year operative when he got his button."

"Yeah and look how he turned out? A liar and a turncoat!"

"But Marauder is no liar, and she is far more effective than Shadowsan ever was. One woman nearly tore down our organization...and it took one more woman to put it back together, and in one week no less."

"I agree but she's made some errors, more importantly her ego is about the size of Alaska" Brunt added.

"Yes, but she's made up for it. We now have the Chief of A.C.M.E., leaving the organization rudderless—and through her hacking we control it, we have Carmen Sandiego's entire crew, we have all the gold in Fort Knox, millions in expensive paintings, tapestries, The Hope Diamond! And if she gets our money from that red hatted snake, we'll be better than ever. She's intelligent, she's a fighter, she literally has not lost. If we put the five of our heads together, could we accomplish her feats in such a short amount of time?"

Brunt sighed. "True. And it was my idea to bring her in, in the first place."

"And now it seems I am her biggest fan" Cleo said semi-mockingly.

"A sixth Faculty member...this won't sit well with our senior operatives, you know. Cookie, and Mickey, Lady Dokuso, and those two nimrods from Sweden. And don't even get me started on Neal."

"They all had their chances and they all blew it. Spectacularly I might add" Cleo continued. Brunt sighed. "She's your protégé, Brunt. You should be proud we're having this debate."

"We'll have an even number. Gun will never go for it."

"What are we, the Senate? We'll offer him veto power, he's always been the voice of reason among us...some of the time. He essentially has it, anyhow."

"That's a big decision, it'll have to be unanimous."

"Can I trust you'll vote with me?" Cleo asked. She held out her hand.

Brunt sighed, but then she smiled, and her raised her meat-hook to shake Cleo's more dainty hand.

SEATTLE WASHINGTON 2021 HOURS

Were inside the one bedroom bachelor pad of Chase. A lock tumbler made that unlocking noise, and a bedraggled and depressed Frenchman entered his apartment fit for a serial killer. Multiple cork boards with red string pointing to an inordinate amount of conspiracy theories and the like. The kitchen was a mess and clothes were strewn about. Chase took his box of stuff from his A.C.M.E. desk and immediately dropped the box into his comically small desk trash can, nearly overflowing with crumpled up steno pad notes. He walked over to his abhorrently unkempt kitchen, opening up his fridge, which aside from a few takeout boxes and such contained a few Smart Waters, multiple pallets of Red Bull, and units upon units of Five Hour Energy shots. Chase took a shot and knocked it back. He dropped the empty bottle to the floor and adjourned to his bathroom, which was just as gross as the rest of the apartment. He looked at himself in the mirror, and the baggy-eyed, five o'clock Shadowed man didn't like the face staring back at him.

This time, he didn't even have the energy to be hard on himself and instead simply sighed, nearly too depressed to do anything that didn't involve sitting and quietly self-loathing.

Chase sat on his computer chair and faced his string boards. He snarled, grabbing them up and stuffing them into the trash can which couldn't have been more overflowing. He turned his flat screen TV on, which was cued up to Netflix. Chase was getting into Breaking Bad, the episode he was on now was Gliding Over All, the mid-season finale to the final season...

He sat back down, grabbing a water and tore open the prescription bag, a receipt and a brown bottle of Percocet's landed in his hands.

Chase opened up the pill bottle and dumped five or six salmon colored opioids into his hands. He sighed, but his eyes glanced to the balcony doors in his bedroom. As his eyes adjust, we see across the street from Chase's apartment, was another recreational cannabis dispensary.

He thought to himself, these pills might help him...they might do nothing, or get him addicted to opioids, a road he did not want to go down despite his current mental state. Besides, Chase was so depressed from feeling like a perpetual failure, that this didn't matter to him anymore, nothing did. Maybe he could feel something different. He put the pills back in the bottle, closing it up and tossing it at the trash, despite it missing. He grabbed some things and left.

We cut to across the street. Chase walked into the dispensary, the faint smell of kush permeating every sense inside the Frenchman. Over the musical speakers 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins was playing. Chase was instantly bombarded by the cheery front desk gal, who had the shaved head on one side look with blonde hair curled out to the other side. She wore weird square glasses, had a sleeve of tattoos on her right arm, a tank top and shorts...obviously sported a nose ring. Chase looked away as he meandered over to her like a long lost gazelle walking into a suspect watering hole.

"Hey there! My name's Stephanie! Welcome to Fast Times At Ridgemont Hiiiiiiiiiigh. First time? I bet it's your first time" she said in an overly cheerful voice.

Chase already hated this, but his self-esteem was in the toilet, and he was here already. And to be fair he was embarrassed to say he was curious since the doctor put the idea in his head. "Yes. I am here to purchase your finest marijuana, please" Chase said...you know, like a noob.

"Super! Just so you know, because it's your first time, all products are twenty percent off!"

"Fun" the Frenchman deadpanned.

"I'm just gonna need to see some ID" Stephanie insisted.

"Of course. My passport" Chase said, grabbing his passport from his blazer pocket. Stephanie read it.

"Devin...Devin...eeeeew?"

"Devin-OH" he enunciated, patience wearing thin.

"Ohhhhhhh, is that French?"

If Chase's ego was more intact he might have tried to strangle her with insults. He simply took a finger and closed the booklet, revealing the French Seal and the UNION EUROPÉENNE RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE signage on the front.

"Ohhhhhhhh, duh" Stephanie joked.

"Are you high?" Chase asked. "Do they let you get high on the job?"

"No, silly. I've just never seen one of these before."

"What? A passport, or a French person?" Chase jeered.

"You're quick, I like that. You're all checked in, let's see if we can mellow you out."

"Fantastic."

Stephanie led Chase on a proverbial magic carpet ride of kush, the two stopped at the flower section, where glass cylinders of hemp flower lined the shelves. "You look like the kind of guy who works a lot?"

"Well, I used to" Chase mumbled with a shrug.

"That's the spirit! Now, are you in the mood to ponder, or chill?"

"Can't it be both?"

"Absolutely! You'll want something in a hybrid. This one's my personal fav" Stephanie said holding up a jar. "S'all Good Man."

Chase was annoyed and just wanted to buy it and leave before he noticed a jar jump out at him. He picked it up. "Midnight Oil?" Chase asked.

"Ooh, that's a great strand. But, it's made to help with insomnia. It's Indica which chills you out but we added melatonin to help you fall sleep."

"I used to burn a lot of midnight oil. Back when I was a somebody" Chase sighed, but recoiled, putting the jar back on the shelf. "Give me the Saul Goodman" he said playfully mispronouncing the former strand.

Smash cut to the desk, Chase had also purchased some rolling papers and a lighter, he paid in cash. "Do you need a crash course in joint rolling?" Stephanie asked. "No charge and it takes ten minutes."

Chase had had enough, and grabbed the bag. "I am European, I know how to roll a cigarette" he berated her.

"We have Midnight Oil in pre-rolls if you're interested."

"No thanks, now good day" Chase said before heading for the door.

"Okay! Come back soon!"

"I doubt that!" Chase called as the door closed behind him. Outside, he looked up as the storm clouds grew darker and closer as the sun was nearly set. He dashed across the street back to his apartment. The song then faded.

GRAVITY FALLS OREGON SAME TIME

We cut to a different kind of store where ID is required to both look and purchase. Carmen had arrived back stateside, now sporting her casual look and desperately feigning a fake smile. Her newly minted fake ID courtesy of Player's hacker magic was in the hands of the store clerk inside this local gun shop. She was skinny, a few years older than Carmen, rocking some long red hair, freckles bedecking her face, wearing a green flannel with dirty jeans and boots. On her head was a white cap with a blue brim and back with a blue pine tree emblazoned on the front. Gravity Falls fanatics know her as Wendy Corduroy.

"Scarlet Santa Rosa?" Wendy said in her gruff tomboy voice, raising an eyebrow.

"It's Argentinian nobility" Carmen lied.

"And you live in Portland?"

"I do."

"My condolences" Wendy joked.

"Everyone's been telling me that, lately" Carmen said with a shrug.

Wendy shrugged too. "Well, you're just getting bullets and you have no criminal history it seems, so that concludes today's background check. So, what kind of piece of hot lead can I put you into today?" Wendy asked as if she were selling used cars.

"45 ACP" Carmen said matter-of-factly.

"It is so dope that to have a chick come through this store that knows something about arms and armor. Mostly we get sweaty lumberjacks and tourists. Gotta ask though, you got the gun?"

"Of course" Carmen pulled out the gun from behind her.

"Kind of empty, don't you think?" Wendy asked with a dose of Wendy sarcasm. "Not much use carrying around an unloaded gun."

"That's why I'm here" Carmen countered.

"Follow up question and very important it be answered truthfully: whatcha need these bullets for?"

"Oh you know. Target shooting, personal protection. I live in Portland, you know."

"I think I got just the thing" Wendy nodded. She turned to a large shelf behind her, filled with boxes of ammunition. After some brief searching, Wendy pulled down a box and set it on the counter. "Radically. Invasive. Projectile. RIP. See these spikes leading up to the tip? When they make contact they split up randomly in nine different directions. Nine pieces of hot lead will destroy anything."

Carmen smirked. "I'll need two boxes."

"Atta girl" Wendy winked, getting another box from the shelf.

"Oh and, I don't suppose you have three more magazines for my gun, would you?" Carmen asked.

"Oh yeah, no sweat" Wendy said before calling to the back of the store. "YO DAD! I NEED THREE MAGS FOR-..." She paused, looking back at the gun. "SMITH AND WESSON! M&P SHIELD!" she then turned back to Carmen. "He'll be over in a sec."

"So, you work with your dad, huh?" Carmen asked.

"Oh yeah. He used to be in the lumber trade but he was getting too old, and he liked guns, so, here we are" Wendy explained.

"Hmm, Wendy, how well would you say you know this town?"

"Born and raised here. Boy I can tell you some crazy stuff" Wendy said, before her phone vibrated. It was sitting next to her, the caller ID read: DIPPER with two heart emojis next to the name.

"Sorry, my boyfriend. I'll call him back later. Anyway, you were saying?" Wendy asked.

"I'm actually here looking up an old friend of my dad's. This town was his last known address."

"I might be able to help. Who is it?"

"Vincent Hanna" Carmen stated slowly narrowing her eyes.

Wendy nodded. "Mr. H? That guy's the cop's cop! He's a crazy old man but I love him!"

"Is he still at 753 Snafu Drive?"

"Totally. Was your dad a cop, too?" Wendy asked.

"Oh yeah" Carmen lied. "They go waaaaaay back. All the way back from when he was in Chicago Police Department."

"Dope. But seriously, today maaaaaaaay not be the best day to see V" Wendy awkwardly suggested.

"What do you mean?" Carmen asked.

"Yeah, you see, it's a small town, everyone talks" Wendy said before whispering. "Apparently, his wife totally bailed on him. All she left was a note. He is not taking it well—she was like his fifth wife."

"Well then, in my opinion now is the perfect time to see him" Carmen insisted.

"It's your funeral" Wendy shrugged. But Carmen smirked, putting on a serious face.

BATTLE CREEK MICHIGAN 1932 HOURS

From one smirk to another. We track a smiling Julia walk through the catacombs beneath the V.I.L.E. lair. She started to creepily whistle. Inside the cellblock, Chief had fallen asleep, but the crappy cot was nothing compared to her Posturepedic mattress at home and she awoke to the feeling of intense back pain.

"Hello, Chief" she heard a semi-familiar voice. Chief arose and turned to the cause of that voice. In the next cell over (these sides were separated by bars) Sitting obediently on her cot, folding some clothes she brought with her in the hasty time V.I.L.E. let her pack, was Vivian Hanna.

"A-Agent Hanna? Is that..." Chief paused, and the pieces immediately started to come together. "That little sneak" Chief hissed.

"I'm guessing it has something to do with the fact I bare a striking resemblance to this new V.I.L.E. operative? I've heard some chatter."

"Guarantees the one person she may look like can never be in two different places and thus—"

"—A plausible scapegoat" Vivian finished. "Not to interrupt your thoughts, but we seem to have other neighbors as well.

Chief looked across the cell block where in two cells next to one another was Zack, and Ivy. "Hey."

"What's up?"

"You two. From the coffee shop" Chief remembered. "You're with Carmen Sandiego."

"We were!" Zack huffed.

"We still are! We're just...we're very mad!" Ivy countered. "She's clearly got her priorities out of whack. And she totally ditched us."

"And now she wants to try and use this leverage to persuade you to come to V.I.L.E.?" Vivian guessed.

"I could crush Argent's head like a walnut" Chief sneered.

Suddenly, the door opened, and a shadowy Julia entered, as the lighting in this dungeon was less-than-adequate. Julia walked slowly, sinisterly whistling the eerily creepy song Twisted Nerve by Bernard Hermann.

"Well, here I am, Tamara" Julia said. She came into the light, and the siblings eyes lit up. First it was with surprise, then shock. Ivy stayed on shock while Zack had a realization...his hunch was correct.

"Ah-ha! I was right! In your face, Ivy! Woo-hoo! I was...I was...oh, right" Zack sighed, realizing the situation he was in.

Julia walked over to Vivian's cell door. "My-my. Quite the remarkable resemblance. Wouldn't everyone agree?" she asked, surveying the dungeon.

"Jules...what did they do to you?" Ivy asked.

Nothing. Nothing at all, actually" Julia explained, walking towards Ivy. "It would have been a pleasure to watch you fall from the mezzanine."

"You're insane" Ivy sneered.

"Sticks and stones. Now, onto the matter at hand, what is it going to take to get you both to join the Villains International League of Evil, hmm?"

"Nothing."

"Fat chance!" the two said simultaneously.

"Oh, that's too bad, because that is not an acceptable answer."

"I'm guessing were not gonna like any of the "acceptable answers" are we?" Zack snarled.

"Not necessarily-uh, Zack, is it not?" Julia asked.

"Who wants to know?" Zack narrowed his eyes.

"I hear you like fast cars?"

"Among other things! I am also a fan of churros and ice cream...preferably when mixed together."

"That can be arranged" Julia then turned to Ivy. "And you're into fixing things?"

"I also like fast cars!" Ivy defended.

"Yeah and don't try to butter us up, either. I'm on a low fat diet" Zack snarled.

"You just said you enjoy churros and ice cream," Chief deadpanned.

"Thank you, Officer Hindsight!" Zack rolled his eyes. "It's an expression!"

"From where I'm standing, there's a finite amount of options for you both" Julia began, now standing in between both cells. "You can willingly join V.I.L.E., have all your sentience intact and I can get you most anything you wish in return. Or, you can refuse and be forcibly reprogrammed as loyal V.I.L.E. puppets. Which will be quite painful."

The redheads gulped.

"There is of course a third option" Julia continued. "As you can very well imagine, I have quite the amount of reach in A.C.M.E. since I now control it" she said turning to smirk at a resentful Chief before turning back. "And I can guarantee that you both will be captured and convicted as conspirators to aide and embed the fugitive Carmen Sandiego."

"WHAT!?" came a simultaneous response.

"No stone unturned, huh Argent?" Chief asked.

"I wouldn't be where I am today without having all my ducks in a row" Julia triumphantly explained.

"Don't get used to being that side of the bars, Julia. You know this won't last. And when it doesn't, I promise you, I'll be there to watch them slap the cuffs on you" Chief mused.

Julia growled. "We'll see about that" she then headed for the door. "Do take your time on our generous offer, I wouldn't want you both to make an ill-advised decision" she then slammed the door shut behind her.

SEATTLE WASHINGTON 2037 HOURS

The storm had just barely begun as Chase entered his apartment with his bag of debauchery. He locked his apartment door and closed every blind on every window. He threw the contents onto the kitchen table in the dining room/living room. He got out a few flowers and crumbled them up, then opening the pack of rolling papers.

Chase studied these things as if he were a scientist in a lab with a quarter billion dollar research grant. He crumbled up more of the flower and sprinkled it into the middle of a paper. He tried his best to make a well and lick the paper, but suddenly, a knock came at his door.

Chase panicked and slung the barely rolled joint onto the table, the cannabis going everywhere.

The knocking didn't stop as Chase panicked. "Uh-go away! I am happy with my Internet provider!"

"Chase? It's me, Anthony!" he called. Chase facepalmed. "And I'm not going away!"

Chase groaned, and lazily threw a placemat over the mess. He unlocked the door but kept the chain lock on, so he could only open it just enough to see Anthony, but so he couldn't get in.

"What is it?"

"Look, buddy, we don't have to talk about you and me, but we gotta talk about Marauder."

"There is nothing to talk about. Marauder is at large and we have her identity."

Anthony sighed heavily. "No! It's not her! It's Julia!"

"You are a broken record, Anthony. Marauder is Vivian Hanna."

NO, SHE IS—NOT!" Anthony screamed.

There was a pause as hear a clap of thunder in the background. Anthony composed himself and took a deep breath. "No she's not. Chase, I know how hard this is for you, but I've known Vivian Hanna for years. I knew her two last names ago. She would never do this—and she's pushing fifty, she's a fighter God bless her, but there's no way she can do half the physical things Marauder can do."

"She left a confession note in her handwriting corroborated by her obviously alcoholic husband whose marriage count is nearly half a dozen."

"You don't think V.I.L.E. has the means and the gumption to find a way to forge documents? And yeah, I grant you, Vince is not quite right, fine. He's been on the force for so long, and all those cases and all the coke, it probably turned his brain to scrambled eggs—but I've never seen him so happy the way he is with Vivian, and their marriage only grew when she retired. They both needed to not work. Look at Arturo and Zari, cut from the same cloth except those two only need work."

"I still will never get over the fact she has a boyfriend" Chase interjected.

"Irrelevant! You got to believe me Chase—think about it: you have never met Vivian before! And I'm gonna go out on a limb and assume Carmen Sandiego hasn't either. So why would she make this all about two people she's never met? But wait; who does know you both fairly well? Julia! Who could have wronged Julia?"

"I didn't wrong anybody!" Chase snapped.

"Yes you did! That's okay—I mean, it's not okay, but admitting your wrongdoing and asking forgiveness and penance is how you move on. It's about being a man—being an adult!"

"Even I am not so much a failure that I would drive someone so nice and kind to the arms of the enemy?"

"Why not? Look, you think I don't know that you make fun of me? Of course I do! I laugh it off because I know you. I know you just feel insecure about people who are happier than you—you're over-compensating for your pratfalls. It's fine! Haven't you come to terms with the fact there's only two real people you have let slip away? I never even arrested anyone before a few nights ago!"

"That's right, go ahead and gloat. I regret telling you that confession" Chase sneered.

"Chase, you didn't have to tell me, I knew. Yes, I can be naïve, but I see things. Julia was the same way, but I guess she just had more demons. I'm not here to gloat, I'm here to console you. The sooner we get you back to fighting shape, the sooner we can catch Julia, and lock her away! It'll be fun, we can have a Rocky training montage and everything! IV was my favorite montage" Mine too, Anthony.

"It doesn't matter anymore, Anthony. Nothing does. Oh, did uh, Agent Connors talk to you?"

"Yeah, that's the other thing I wanted to bring up. He said something like: I'm the lead agent in Operation: La Femme Rouge now? What the heck, you left your own assignment?"

"I left A.C.M.E. Anthony. I turned in my resignation and key card to Chief's mailbox. She can read it when she gets back."

"Gets b—she's not coming back! That's the point! And you quit!? Why!? Chase, you're here on a work visa, if you don't have a job they'll make you leave within the month!"

"No they won't, because I'll be leaving for Poitiers by the end of the week."

"You can't give up, man! Look at the egg again, please!" Anthony begged, taking the Fabergé Egg from his coat. "Please explain to me how Vivian Hanna stole this when we can have at least one witness give an alibi while Julia happened to have just gone off the grid around the time this gets stolen AND Marauder just shows up out of thin air?"

"It—"

"Wait!" Anthony interrupted Chase. "AND most importantly, given all that information how did I just happen upon this in HER apartment!? Even if she didn't steal it, she definitely bought it from whoever did. The heist fits the V.I.L.E. profile to the letter. Chase, it's a hard pill to swallow, but it's Julia, man. And it's up to us to take her down."

"Well, it'll have to be you and someone else because I am no longer associated with the Agency to Classify and Monitor Evildoers. And you are wasting your time. You lock Julia in prison and Marauder still roams free."

"How much you wanna bet I put Argent in jail and Marauder suddenly vanishes?" a frustrated Anthony asked with gritted teeth.

"I'm not a betting man" Chase deadpanned, trying to close the door, but Anthony stuck his hand in.

"I came here to give you your keys, anyway, remember?" Anthony asked holding them up.

"Keep it. I'll buy a Prius or something when I go home."

"No! Here, j-j-just take them!" Anthony said throwing the keys through the small crack in the doorway. "I parked in your usual spot down below. But look, Chase, you can't give up! Are you gonna let Julia win?"

"She already won, and so did you: everyone's a better person than me. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"There's no getting through to you, is there?" a nearly defeated Anthony asked. "Stubborn to the bitter end."

"Is there anything else you wanted?"

Anthony scoffed, stunned. "No, I guess not."

"Then it was nice knowing you, Agent Falco. I guess" Chase said, about to close the door, again, Anthony stopped him.

"You know I was always in your corner. I know this is hard, and I know deep down you're just in denial. The longer you let yourself be controlled by your inner demons just know Julia is still out there, and you're here sulking."

"Will that be all?"

"I'll leave you with this" Anthony began moving his hand away from the door. "You close that door on me right now, I'll lose all the respect I have for you. And this'll be as far as we go."

Chase looked emotionlessly at Anthony for a few beats before slamming the door in his face. Chase locked the door. Anthony was again stunned. He was about to knock once more but paused. There really was no getting through to him.

Despondent, Anthony slowly turned to walk away. Every few steps he would turn back to see if maybe Chase would change his mind, but no such luck. Eventually, Anthony just sighed, turning his back on his former friend.

GRAVITY FALLS OREGON 2041 HOURS

From one storm to some partly cloudy skies over Oregon, we return to the land of weirdness. Now in the woods outside The Hanna residence, we see Carmen, clad in her red hat and jacket. We see her loading two remaining bullets in her last of four magazines.

She slid the clip into the gun and let the action slide forward, it was GO TIME! Carmen sneaked to the back of the house and saw some vines wrapped along a trellis leading up the side of the house and next to a second story window. Textbook.

Carmen slowly climbed up the trellis and picked the window lock before opening it up and summersaulting inside the obvious master bedroom, about as rustic and homey as the rest of the house.

Carmen needed some kind of clue—anything to either confirm or deny Vivian's alleged crimes, as Carmen wasn't sure who Marauder was or who to believe anymore. But why be so uncertain? It almost seemed like once again Carmen was repressing a thought.

She started to rifle through anything she could. The closet, the nightstands, but came up with nothing. She started on the dresser, her back being to the bedroom door. But as she was in this defenseless position she suddenly heard a couple of footsteps followed by a loud PUMP sound. This was the action for a shotgun. Carmen froze.

"Let's not be cute, now. Show me the hands" Hanna said gruffly. "Or you'll be saying hello to my little friend."

(I'm sorry, I had to.)

Carmen complied, her back still to the grizzled former policeman. "Detective Hanna, I presume?"

"No, it's Al Pacino" he quipped.

He slowly approached Carmen and used a free hand to reach inside her pockets and started to take some things out, finally coming to the pistol. "That's naughty" Hanna said tossing it on the bed. He held the collar of Carmen's jacket and Hanna tore it off of her, and then her hat. Carmen had nothing else on her. Hanna took a step back, taking out a pair of handcuffs.

"Hands behind your head, interlock your fingers."

Carmen again complied and Hanna put his gun down, cuffing Carmen's wrists behind her back. She took a big sniff. "You've been drinking, detective?"

"My fifth wife just left me out of the blue and you're the one breaking and entering; who's got the bigger problem?"

"Fair enough" Carmen sighed.

"Come with me. He demanded, holding Carmen by the arm and grabbing his gun before they both walked out.

Downstairs, Hanna plopped Carmen on an easy chair in the living room. She was facing the TV which was viewing a rerun of All In The Family. He sat in a chair next to the TV, holding the shotgun by the pump. From the dark room against the TV, it provided Carmen with a cool shadow effect while looking at Hanna.

On a table next to him were two empty and crumpled up tall boys of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer and a half drunk tall boy next to him. Hanna took a big old sip as Carmen awkwardly sat silent, only the TV playing in the background.

"Because you'll get mad at Mike!" Edith let that line slip as the studio audience reacted.

"Gah! The meathead broke my chair?" Archie rhetorically asked.

"Yeah, but he didn't mean to—"

"Edith-Edith-Edith, get on the horn, call him and get him over here."

"O-Oh Archie, he won't come over here now."

"You gotta tempt him back, Edith. Tell you made a big bowl of chocolate pudding or something" more canned laughter.

"I know who you are" Hanna said finally breaking the sullen silence and seventy's sitcom.

"Okay, who am I?" Carmen asked.

"Carmen...Sandiego" Hanna said trying to replicate a Hispanic accent. "The "Tech-y Robin Hood", it's a great honor to have you parking your keister on my IKEA Easy Lounger."

"Tech-y Robin Hood? Heh-heh-heh, I gotta say, out of all the nom de guerre's given to me, that one might be my favorite" Carmen chuckled.

"It's fitting."

"You should be proud. No one's ever been able to apprehend me" Carmen said trying to relax Hanna's defenses.

"Don't patronize me, girly. I've been in this line of work longer than you've been alive. I've forgotten more about it than you'll ever learn. I know a con artist when I see one. I'm seventy-three years young with heart trouble and I'm two sheets to the wind. I couldn't take down a rug in this condition. You were hoping to be caught."

"You are good. And while we're on the subject, I've looked you up. You have quite the law enforcement record. I mean, Neil McCauley? At V.I.L.E. he was talked about like he was the Joe DiMaggio of thieves. And I'm face-to-face with the guy who took him out."

"He haunts me the most" Hanna nodded, then taking another sip. "We were a lot alike. Two obsessed perfectionists who don't know how to love and are good at what they do. That case collapsed my third marriage."

"You've been married a lot" Carmen said, trying to fish for a clue.

"All my time was spent taking down thugs like you—and the lot that are far more violent. But let's cut the crap. I've known about you and your exploits for some time now, people in my line of work tend to talk to one another. And given what I know about you, you're here to confirm or deny all the things they're saying about my missing wife."

"Guilty as charged" Carmen shrugged.

"Like I told the knockarounds at A.C.M.E. I saw her last night when everyone seems to think she's been living this insane double life!"

"You're an old couple! She could easily slip away without anyone noticing!" Carmen defended.

"Which means were rarely apart from one another!" Hanna shouted.

"Fine! Where was she the night before last, huh?" Carmen asked getting increasingly defensive.

"Okay, I admit; Vivian has this fundraiser, forestry, she's into that stuff. Well I made a few bad impressions there so she said it best I don't go. "Okay, I said" went down to Skull Fracture bar and had a few beers. Left the bar around two was home between two-thirty and three, I was very drunk, but there was Vivian, again, sleeping soundly.

"When did you see her last before you came home?" Carmen asked.

"Between about 7:30 PM and 2:30 AM."

"She could've gotten there and back...right?" Carmen muttered to herself. "I-I don't, she could have slipped away in that time."

"Fine, then! Give me another date!" Hanna demanded.

"Day before that one."

"We woke up, went jogging. Said hi to Soos Ramirez, we ate brunch in town, and decided—as retirees do, to randomly go see a winery. It's up in Astoria. Great vineyard, we later found out they sell their bottles in store, but it was a good day. Thirty minutes combined was the amount of time I had my eyes off her."

That unfortunately sunk any reason for her to have been at Vatican City. Carmen hung her head, but then looked up. She looked deep into Hanna's blank stare and how much she knew she couldn't trust anyone. He could be covering for Vivian for all she knew...

...But then again, would he? Here was this loyal police officer who genuinely seems to be broken up about his wife leaving him. Either he is a fantastic actor, or perhaps this was staged?

"Then...the confession. It's in her handwriting!" Carmen yelped, eyes welling up.

"If someone had the temerity to kidnap, and the resources to make it look like a runaway, you don't think they can find someone who can forge a note!?"

"You've been married five times! You don't think maybe perhaps you're toxic and push people away?" Carmen asked, crying now.

"You accuse me of not loving my wife? Who the hell do you think you are!? Why are you so desperate to believe it's Vivian, anyhow?"

"It has to be her."

"Why!?"

"I know her!" Carmen shouted. "She wouldn't turn evil..."

Hanna raised an eyebrow, he started to realize this wasn't about his wife. "I'll level with you, kid. There's nothing you can tell me that's too crazy, trust me. There's some weird stuff in this town alone. You wanna see a Man-a-taur? It's exactly what it sounds like. There's something more here than you wanting to figure out the identity of this new criminal of whom my wife allegedly bears a resemblance to."

"I'm in love. And I think I may have driven her into the arms of the enemy, all because I was too stubborn and obsessive! And it took me so long to realize it. This new enemy I face, your wife and my crush look so much alike. That's why I had to know the truth. I still don't. Look, you know me, or knew of me...Marauder is making this fight personal. Has Vivian ever-ever mentioned me in an antagonistic fashion?"

"My wife hated nobody" Hanna dryly answered, taking another sip. "Yes, we talk, we work in law enforcement, that's what we do. Other than any sort of chatter to speak of that's all we do is talk. She's never mentioned anything violent towards you or anyone else."

Carmen sighed. "You can promise me anything and I don't know if I can believe you" Carmen explained. "I'm sorry, but I'm not in a good place right now. And getting to that good place is contingent on proving Vivian is Marauder."

"Well then my friend, I'm afraid we've reached an impasse" Hanna continued. "For you see, I'm also in love. Your scapegoat is my wife. And what I'm telling you is honest and true. Look, there's one thing in this business that killed me...okay, two things. Don't toot any lines, it feels good for ten seconds then your nose burns like you just shoved wasabi cubes with shards of glass inside them up your schnoze. But the main reason is: check the ego at the door."

"What do you mean?" Carmen asked.

"You're just like me: you're goal oriented, that's good, but I bet it's ruined your relationships with people, no?"

Carmen sighed, and nodded. Hanna continued.

"And now, something happened to you that was overpowering you with ambiguous emotion and you're probably second guessing everything you've ever done" Hanna continued his profile. "And because you're not used to this, your mind doesn't know how to react, and you make mistakes. You become what you hate. Toxic, demanding, self-serving, and for people like us, it's for the greater good. But it's that exact attitude that takes people down with it. It's your ego. Whether you thought you had one or not, you do. And yours, Carmen Sandiego, was shattered when you were forced to come face to face with this new villain, and lost."

"When you're right, you're right" Carmen sighed. "That's the problem. I was raised by a bunch of literal thieves and criminals. You can imagine that I was not taught how to love...or to how to lose."

"That's more a problem with your generation. In my day, failure was expected, it's how you learned. With you young people, it's football games without keeping score, everyone gets a trophy, everything is instant and that type of attitude is expected. Cause to you, with every loss, V.I.L.E. gets more powerful. But now, you don't sleep, you're in love, and now you're making more mistakes. I bet everyone around you has mentioned this?"

Carmen rolled her eyes, not wanting to give Hanna the satisfaction. "Fine, I screwed up—maybe, I'm still not convinced."

"Well then unless you'd like to binge All In The Family with me, I'm assuming you'd like to gather your things and vamoose" Hanna guessed, holding up a set of handcuff keys.

Smash cut to outside. You Wanted More by Tonic plays at a lowered volume in the background. Carmen, now unbound and with her jacket, belongings, and hat on walked out the front door as Hanna watched her.

"Carmen" he called. She stopped, turning to him. "What did you really think you were gonna find here, tonight?"

Carmen shrugged. "Closure."

"Well, I'm sorry I couldn't give it to you."

"Look, whether it is your wife or not. I will find her. I can see if I can fix this."

"Thank you. But take my advice. Let go of the ego. Take responsibility. Own up to your mistakes, and grow. You'll do fine."

Carmen smiled, still a bit misty eyed. She looked away briefly but figured she should ask Hanna one more question. "Detective Hanna? Did you...in your career, did you know of a thief named Dexter Wolfe?"

"The Wolf?" Hanna asked in disbelief. "Sure, I've heard of him. That man once literally stole the shirt off a man's back" he chuckled. "Insanely competent crook. He's been dead awhile now, hasn't he? Did you know him?"

Carmen feigned a smile and gently shook her head. "Not really, no."

Carmen then turned to take her leave, far more questions than answers. She didn't know who to believe anymore, and was more desperate than ever to find Marauder's identity...cause that's really who was on her mind. Hanna watched her leave, finishing his beer, and closing the door behind him. The song cut.

SEATTLE WASHINGTON 2119 HOURS

Chase sat in his apartment, watching that episode of Breaking Bad he was neglecting. Anthony's ending of their friendship echoed in his head like a bee constantly stinging his brain. Part of Chase thought: good riddance! But, he was afraid he lost a dear friend...and he couldn't shake the feeling he was losing another friend.

Chase was tired of feeling this way, and was desperate to do anything to put his troubles out of sight, out of mind. Before he could go to the next episode, he turned to the cannabis debacle on his table.

Then he remembered, that's why he purchased said weed in the first place. He sat back at the table, the joint he rolled before was useless, so he got out another rolling paper and tried again. This one he used too much flower.

Frustrated, Chase tried again, and again. Sometimes he'd be able to lick the paper, but he would always get some loose flower in his mouth, and he could never get the paper to wrap around. After five...or ten failed attempts, and his table a graveyard of useless wrappers and fallen flower.

This was not going well. Chase tried another method, wrapping two wraps and licking them shut, but this one broke in half, too. Chase facepalmed, he couldn't even do this right. He got up and grabbed his coat.

Smash cut to the cannabis store again, still playing 1979 for some reason. Chase walked up to Stephanie, who was still chipper and still working. "Welcome to Fast Times at Ridgemont H—hey, it's you!" she remembered Chase.

Chase slapped some money on the table, a man on a mission. "I want those pre-rolled ones, the Midnight Oil" he insisted. A clap of thunder boomed behind him.

EVERETT WASHINGTON 2111 HOURS

Anthony returned home, taking the bus from the train station. He was more sullen than ever. He knew what he had to do but it was a bitter pill to swallow. Anthony had lost his best friend.

He walked up to his front door, stopping at the ALL ARE WELCOME HERE sign. A piece of signage Anthony regretted putting on said door given who was at his house recently, taking advantage of his family's good will.

In a fit of rage, Anthony grabbed it from the hook off the door. He charged inside with the sign, slamming the front door behind him.

SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA 2319 HOURS

We'll go forward in time a little bit. Carmen had returned home from her impromptu flight from Oregon, taking a ride on the fastest moving jet Player could get his hands on. Carmen couldn't have been more sullen, and more at a loss. Usually this would be where her, Zack, and Ivy would be eating ice cream and discussing the success of their last mission. But now there was no ice cream, no red-headed siblings, and Carmen basically had no one and was about to give up.

Unfortunately for her, it was about to get worse still! She opened up the front door and was immediately bombarded by a frantic Gypsy and Vincent who were diligently counting a few stacks of money and frantically answering emails and phone calls.

"Carmen!" Gypsy called.

"Hey, I know this—us running around looks bad, right?"

"Well...it is, but we can fix it" Gypsy assured her.

Carmen gently facepalmed. "What happened?" she said almost with no emotion.

"You know that thing we talked about? A thing that we didn't want to have happen but apparently has?" Gypsy cryptically asked.

"I'll take a wild guess and assume our charities are being audited by A.C.M.E., right?"

"That's a very good guess" Vincent nervously complimented her to save face.

"It's also correct" Gypsy shrugged.

Carmen facepalmed. "This is exactly why I didn't want our money laundered!"

"Hey! I know how this looks" Vincent said trying to placate her.

"It looks like a disaster!" Carmen shouted.

She sighed. She knew coming in here she was going to end their operations anyhow, and it stood to reason there was no better time than the present. "It's a temporary setback, that's all" Vincent assured her.

"Besides, these audits will be for nothing" Gypsy continued.

"What do you mean?" Carmen asked.

"We had our people working non-stop to get this dough back."

"Yeah, every dime. Look, this will blow over, they have our receipts to make it look genuine and if the feds for whatever reason don't buy it, there's no money for them to not find" Vincent continued.

"So where is it all?" Carmen asked.

Vincent reached into his pocket and pulled out one of his and Gypsy's business cards. An address was handwritten on the reverse. "I got a warehouse on the outskirts of Escondido, just an hour northeast of here. I'm giving you a set of keys, Gypsy and I have the other set."

"Other than that, we have some money left over we were counting, it's about ten and a half mill" Gypsy explained.

"We fashioned it into a throne for you" Vincent said, showing Carmen the stack of money that looked like a giant chair.

"Gee, thanks" Carmen sighed. "Look, I really want to thank you both for all you've done. You've helped our cause more than you can ever know. Even with this setback" she sighed again. "But, I'm afraid your services are no longer needed at Black Sheep Inc."

"WHAT!?"

"Carmen, this is a minor roadblock, we will overcome this" Vincent tried to assure her.

"Yeah, they'll leave the companies and charities alone once the audits over."

"Don't you guys get it!?" Carmen snapped. "Who do you not see with me? I'm alone! I'm alone because V.I.L.E. kidnapped Zack, Ivy, and Shadowsan! It's all my fault. I can't let this happen again. You both have families."

"We know the risks, Carmen" Gypsy insisted.

"I don't care, Gypsy. I'm done. I'm gonna try to go toe-to-toe with Marauder one last time, and then turn myself in."

"Are you nuts?" Gypsy asked.

"I have no choice. She's not gonna stop. But I can at least insulate myself away from anyone I'm close to so no one has to get hurt. It's me she wants. But she'll take anyone close to me and take them out of commission."

"Carmen...w-wh-what about all the charities?" Vincent asked.

"If something happens to me, you two take the money. You'll find a good cause for it, I'm sure."

"Carm, we're talking billions in cold, hard cash here!" Gypsy insisted.

"That's billions with a B!" Vincent retorted.

"My minds made up, Vincent. I've hurt too many people. I'll never make that mistake again. This is my fault, I have to own up to it. And this is the only option Marauder wants me to have. She wants a final showdown with me. And I'll deliver."

"You're serious about this?" Vincent asked.

"Absolutely."

Gypsy and Vincent looked at one another. Clearly there was no reasoning with Carmen, and they knew they should merely comply and take their leave. The team had grown on the pair, and they were sad they'd have to go, even if the twins gave them endless agita and Carmen was insanely aloof, it was the best job the two ever had.

We cut to the garage. They were leaving in Vincent's car, a fully restored Lincoln Continental convertible from 1965 in egg shell white. Vincent handed Carmen the keys. "Gypsy and I are still gonna go tomorrow and give the place a final onceover."

"Of course" Carmen nodded.

"So, this is it then?"

"Maybe our paths' will cross again someday."

"You will get everyone back, right Carm?" Gypsy asked sitting in the car.

"If I get Marauder, I'll make sure she talks" Carmen sneered.

"Good" Gypsy smirked.

"Come on, bring it in" Vincent said, holding out his arms for a hug.

Carmen sighed and embraced the Bob Odenkirk lookalike. But a semi-jealous Gypsy took notice. "Oh! What's this? We're giving hugs now?" he asked, getting out of the car. "Come on Carm, give Uncle Gypsy a hug."

"As long as you never refer to yourself as: "Uncle Gypsy" ever again" she half joked and gave him a small hug too.

The two got in the car, Vincent turned on the engine and the brand new surround sound radio, which was appropriately blasting Viva la Vida by Coldplay. Carmen was about to watch them leave but she had a thought.

She needed something. It was probably a something she could get through her connections but didn't want to wait. She stopped them before they left. "Wait! I need a shoulder holster—or any kind of holster."

The two looked at one another, but figured given these circumstances, and given their loyalty to Carmen, asking questions didn't seem like a smart move. Vincent kept the car running but got out. "Step into my office."

Vincent led Carmen round the back and opened the massive trunk. Inside was a treasure trove of wrapped bales of cash, multiple firearms and ammunition. "Alright, you need something durable, or what?"

"Functional, I guess" Carmen shrugged.

"Got just the thing" Vincent pulled out a brown leather adjustable shoulder holster. The holster was under the left side, while the right had two slots for magazines. "Adjustable to fit most pistols, comfortable, stylish" he handed it to Carmen.

"It's perfect. What do I owe you?"

"Get outta here. Your money's no good" Gypsy insisted.

"What he said" Vincent smiled. "What caliber is the gun, I'll get you a sound suppressor."

"45."

"Gotcha" Vincent pulled out a silencer that fit her gun, then closed up the trunk. "Just in case" he said with a wink.

Carmen smiled, shedding a single tear. "Take care you guys."

"Fare-thee-well, Carmen Sandiego" Vincent said poetically, hopping into the car. "It was a pleasure to launder your money."

"And thanks for choosing V&G Financial Consulting" Gypsy chuckled.

"I'll leave a good Yelp review!" Carmen joked as she opened up the garage door and Vincent floored it while the song still played, now getting faint as it faded. Carmen's face soon turned to melancholy as she closed the door.

SEATTLE WASHINGTON 2132 HOURS

Now water-logged from the rain, Chase once again returned, this time triumphantly and locked his door. He threw off his blazer, now only in his pants and white shirt. He sat at his table, and opened up the pack of ten factory pre-rolled joints. Chase studied one of them, wondering why he couldn't make his failed ones look like that? But, that was only going to add to his depression and he shook his head, sighing.

"What am I doing?" he asked out loud.

He glanced down to the table, seeing his phone. Chase picked it up and we see his home screen. It's a photo of him, Julia, and Anthony on one of their Carmen Sandiego hunting excursions. In the background was The Tokyo Imperial Palace in Japan. Julia was smiling politely while Anthony was giving Chase rabbit ears while an obviously unamused Chase scowled into the camera.

He was fixated on Julia as he wiped some residual rainwater from his forehead. He sighed. He wasn't even high yet and he was already getting paranoid. He was desperate for a clue, or something to prove Julia wasn't Marauder, much like Carmen was...minus the romance.

Chase went into his texts and went to Julia, shocker, she wasn't sharing her location. Chase sighed, another dead end. He looked at the options, one of which was to make a call. Chase felt his shaky thumb reaching for the call button. He finally pressed it, and after a second, the call screen appeared and Chase put the phone to his ear as he heard the dial tone.

. . .

Back at V.I.L.E. Julia was still whistling Twisted Nerve as she walked through the halls of the factory-turned-criminal-underworld-lair. She was carrying something, it was clearly a picture frame.

Inside Tigress's room, she was still napping, and as it was nearly bedtime that was not advisable. She was waking up and felt super groggy. She heard a buzz on her nightstand, and half-awake, reached her hand over blindly to try and pick up the phone.

But, it wasn't HER phone she accidentally picked up, it was Julia's. Still on muscle memory, Tigress simply answered it. "H-H-Hello?" she asked in a slow gravelly voice.

. . .

We get an extreme close-up of Chase's face. That wasn't Julia's voice. He didn't recognize it, despite something about it he couldn't shake. He merely shook the phone against his ear as he struggled to say anything.

. . .

Tigress was about to speak when she looked at the screen and saw that OH CRAP it was Julia's phone and OH CRAP it was Chase calling! Tigress opened her mouth but words didn't come out. She too just put the phone to her ear.

. . .

Another cut to Chase's face as were now in a battle of wits as to who says the next word. Chase literally didn't know what to think? Why would this stranger have Julia's phone? And more importantly: where was Julia!?

. . .

Tigress was borderline hyperventilating. She didn't want to just hang up, that would make the situation that much more suspect. She froze as he phone was glued to her ear.

. . .

Chase could hear Tigress breathing through the line. He was sweating now. His wounds getting torn open as he was psyching himself out...or maybe, maybe there was a part of him that didn't want to continue with the Marauder investigation? Chase shook his head and moved his thumb to the disconnect button, and ended the call.

. . .

Tigress heard the phone hang up abruptly and facepalmed. "Way to go, Sheena" she groaned. She threw on some pajama pants and took Julia's phone and ran out to warn her.

. . .

And were back to Seattle. Chase dropped his phone to the table. He had enough of this mental anguish taking its toll on him. He looked at the joint still in his other hand. He sighed, and shrugged. "This better make me forget about everything" he deadpanned.

Chase put one end to his mouth and opened the lighter.

He slowly lit a flame, crunching his finger on the ignition switch. He moved the flame up to the other end, and quickly lit the joint, a small yellow flash noted the kush had been touched by flame.

Chase could feel the smoke rushing into his mouth. He had been a cigarette smoker in his youth, but this smoke tasted radically unfamiliar. It had that typical burnt weed smell, which was basically flaming skunk. The Frenchman took a deep inhale, and let the smoke sit in his mouth before inhaling deeper.

This was a rookie mistake. Chase took in too much smoke and immediately hacked it all up. "Ugh!" he coughed some more. "I cannot even smoke marijuana correctly!?" he fumed.

He looked down at the smoking joint, a new black burnt spot was now on the tip with the flame in a small red ring beneath that with a thin trail of stinky smoke permeating the furniture in his apartment. He lifted the joint up and took a smaller drag, letting the smoke sit in his mouth he took a smaller inhale before blowing the smoke into his apartment.

Chase made a small cough as his eyes were starting to look a little bloodshot. He took another similar drag, and after letting this smoke go, Chase started to feel something. In the first place, his whole body felt tingly. He felt lightheaded like his head weighed next to nothing. Then there was a moderately blurred vision.

Chase slowly turned his head to the TV which was flashing from the screen to a distorted green screen when he would glance away. As he did, his vision became a bit spotty. He looked at his hand and could almost sense it's movement track.

The tiniest smirk crept onto Chase's face. "Ohhhhhhhhh" his smirk grew.

Chase was high.

He sat back in his chair, smirking and looking aimlessly in his mess of an abode; despite this mellow demeanor, don't let it fool you, Chase was still afraid, it just hadn't hit its breaking point yet.

BATTLE CREEK MICHIGAN SAME TIME

Julia was still passing the halls. We see her looking at the picture she was carrying, it was the famed and previously mentioned Mona Lisa, that Carmen thought she hid from V.I.L.E. Julia was passing through the infirmary.

Curious, she walked down one of the rows of beds, the only person in the room was Paper Star, down in the very last bed down the row. Julia continued to whistle, it getting louder as she grew closer to the injured villainess.

Paper Star was awake but couldn't move. Her left leg and both arms in casts and on raised slings. Her jaw was locked up with a brace and she also sported a neck brace. She had an IV drip but was not otherwise attached to any other medical equipment. She couldn't make faces but her eyes narrowed when she saw Julia. There was a stereo set up near Paper Star so she didn't have to lay in eerie silence. Julia stopped whistling as the song playing was Tear You Apart by She Wants Revenge.

"My-my, quite the nasty fall you had, Paper Star" Julia mused sinisterly. She set the priceless painting down. "You really should have heeded your own advice" Julia moved closer and condescendingly ran her fingers through Paper Star's hair. "I gave you so many opportunities to bury whatever feud you have with me that you conjured up in that psychotic little brain of yours, and this is what happens when you cross the line. So let me explain a few things to you just so you are aware. I am untouchable. If I even think you are making a move on me, or Tigress, I will end you. You speak when spoken to, and if I give you an order you obey it. And all this goes without saying the percentage Tigress promised you is no longer offered. Understood?" she asked. Paper Star didn't move. Julia leaned in further, glaring. "Nod if you understand" she sneered. Paper Star managed a weak tiny nod. "Good girl" Julia said before taking out one of Paper Stars pillows. The psycho's eyes widened. "Relax, I am simply fluffing it for you."

Paper Star watched as she could not look away. Julia was really being condescending with the pillow fluffing, blatantly right in front of her. It almost seemed like Julia was moving the pillow towards her face.

"I warned you to tread lightly. And still you defied me. Well you won't make that mistake ever again...I'll guarantee i—"

"There you are!"

Julia looked up to see Tigress rushing through the row of beds towards her. The raven haired woman snapped out of it, giving the pillow two last convincing courtesy fluffs before shoving the pillow behind Paper Star's head and propping it up.

"I was just seeing how she was recovering."

"Never mind that! I'm so-so-so sorry babe. I was asleep, the phone buzzed, I thought it was mine, but it was yours. I answered it and it was totally Devineaux!"

Julia calmed Tigress by plowing her lips into hers, right in front of Paper Star's line of sight. Julia released. "What did you say?"

"Nothing, just a very groggy hello. There was so much awk but he eventually hung up. I don't think he had time to trace us."

"This is fine. He can't find us thanks to Dr. Bellum's GPS cloaking signal. He will call back later. He is probably fishing, perhaps getting suspicious. I will play this off, do not worry" Julia assured her. She picked up the painting. "Come, we shall put this in its new home...my room." She turned to Paper Star and winked, following a relieved Tigress out as he song faded.

SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA 2348 HOURS

Carmen stood alone in the now empty lair. I mean completely alone. She past the kitchen, where she noticed the WORLD'S BEST BOSS mug Vincent had gotten for her. She picked it up, plopping the holster on the counter.

The Latina stared at this cheap yet kind gesture. But it made everything instantly haunt her. Everything, all her recent insecurities done because of a crush, and because Carmen was so desperate to escape her former association with V.I.L.E. The last thing she wanted to be was the bad guy, but yet here she stood.

Thanks to her, her crew was captured, her charities audited, and V.I.L.E. on the warpath with a new ace in the hole who knew EXACTLY how to defeat Carmen at every turn. World's best boss. This piece of molded porcelain silently mocking her. Carmen glanced over to her knuckles she broke when she had a fit of rage punching her bathroom mirror, you know, back when all she thought was her being a toxic selfish person. They were healing up nice but it didn't shake her rage.

Carmen screamed and threw the mug against the wall, it smashed into pieces. In more rage Carmen ran about the lair, throwing and smashing anything she could, breaking the other mirrors in the gym, and rebreaking the bathroom mirror.

After there seemed to be nothing left to break, we see Carmen sitting on the small throne of money Vincent and Gypsy made for her. She rested her hands on the arms as she wiped some tears from her eyes.

Carmen looked longingly in the distance at the mess she made. She was a queen with no queendom. This was all that was left of her empire. She was alone, her money vulnerable and sitting in a warehouse, and with a seemingly unstoppable enemy and there wasn't a thing she could do about it.

SEATTLE WASHINGTON 2201 HOURS

Chase swayed back and forth in his chair. He finished the roach, tamping it out in a small plate he got from the kitchen as he remembered he had no ashtray. He emerged from said chair and walked over to his smart TV, which was hooked up to his iPhone. Chase looked through his music library, and queued up the song July by Betcha. Chase felt like he was the best kind of dizzy, and felt light as a feather.

Chase couldn't keep the smirk off his face. He started to move about his apartment like he was dancing. As the song neared the chorus he fell back in his chair, and started to see spots. Every time he would move his head he felt another rush of slow euphoria.

Suddenly, we cut. We're back in Chase's apartment as that image was through his POV. The song faded out into the next as Chase smirked sitting in his chair. He no longer remembered all the terrible things in his mind, and right now, that's all he wanted.

EVERETT WASHINGTON SAME TIME

Anthony was sitting alone in his kitchen, fork diving into a leftover lasagna from dinner which he missed. Clad in a tank top and pajama pants was Irene. "Knock-knock" she cheerfully said. "I didn't see you come in."

"Late sales meeting" Anthony lied.

"Oh, my big strong working man" She ran over to give him a hug. "That house I'm selling over on Plathmore Drive?"

"Mmm-hmm" Anthony answered. There was a lot that was bugging him. Not just Chase, moreover the fact he let the enemy into his house,

"Got this nice Asian family moved over here from London. They are so sweet. Dad's here with the tech industry-I know-know—"

"Irene?" Anthony stopped his wife's story. "Chase's secretary. What did you think about her?"

"Oh my gosh, the one who fell down all the stairs?"

"Yeah...well?"

"What?"

"What did you think about her?"

"Tone', what do you mean?" Irene asked referring to him as a nickname.

"Her demeanor, emotions?"

"Well, she seemed a bit cagey."

"Okay."

"She really had this vendetta against holistic medical treatments. To be honest, I thought she was just some poor person off the street until I caught her with Chase's phone. I never really gave her the opportunity to explain herself."

"Wait, so you take her in, want to treat her—and what, she doesn't want the natural stuff? The stuff we have here in the kitchen?" Anthony asked.

"Right. So I went to get the first aid kit."

"Leaving her alone here in the kitchen with the phone" Anthony muttered with a sneer. He angrily stood up, threw the aluminum foil back over the casserole dish before shoving it in the fridge and slamming the door, leaving a shocked Irene confused.

"Anthony? What's wrong. What the heck was that about?"

"Nothing. I'm sorry hon. Problem at work, nothing to worry about. I'm going to bed. I love you" Anthony haphazardly assured her before walking away. Irene could not have been more stunned.

SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA 0028 HOURS

Carmen was busy cleaning up her mess. We see a shot of her sweeping up broken glass, and vacuuming up anything broken. We cut to her shower, the steam engulfing Carmen's body we can only see above her neck. She's sullen. She takes a look at her knuckles again.

Ready for bed, Carmen sat in the living room watching the TV which was now cracked as she threw something at it. After finding nothing to watch, or that she was too agitated to watch anything; Carmen decided to go to sleep.

Sleep. It was the one thing Carmen dreaded as of late. Unfortunately for her, she hadn't slept in nearly two nights...again, so she knew the moment she hit the mattress she would be out like a light. Carmen crawled into bed, covering up. She looked forward to her desk, where she put her pistol and ammunition. Carmen gently closed her eyes, and was out in moments.

SEATTLE WASHINGTON ? HOURS

Chase had finished his second joint. He was getting to that stage where you feel like your head could just lift itself off the ground. The next song playing was Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day; a song which will be a classic someday.

Chase was singing along, but slurring. "-My shallow-hearts the only thing that's beatin'! Sometimes I wish-that-that someone up there will find me! Till then I walk alone!"

Chase got himself to his feet after he had decided to lay on the floor. He rubbed his head. But when he turned to his couch, he had to shake his head. He saw himself! Well, it sort of looked like him. Actually it was him, except this was Interpol Chase, complete with his lucky coat.

"Um, hey" Chase said

"Devineaux! You are a disgrace!" this doppelganger yelled. "You waste of skin and bones! While you wither away here, V.I.L.E. gets more powerful all because of you!"

We then cut, this was yet another hallucination. Chase saw nothing. But his sense of hearing was heightened, and he felt like he could hear everything, the sound of the fluorescent lights above his head whirring.

As much as Chase wanted to ponder why he was suddenly hallucinating, there was one far more pertinent thing on his mind at that place and time. Chase's stomach rumbled, loudly. He gripped his gut. "Ugh. So...hungry" he moaned.

Chase had the munchies. It's that stage where you could probably eat your own socks if you deep fried them and smothered them in barbeque sauce. Chase got up and hobbled over to his fridge. He opened it and was greeted by the constant reminder of his bachelor lifestyle. His whole fridge was mostly eaten takeout and stuff to give him a caffeine boost. He downed another five hour energy, which made his heart beat so fast he could hear it thumping. He took out a takeout box of moo shu pork which was about as congealed and ice cold as you can imagine.

But, Chase shrugged, grabbed a dirty fork from inside the nearby sink and dug in. He finished it in maybe four bites. Not satisfied, Chase stumbled back into his living room. He glanced outside where the storm was raging. His blurred vision took a look to the dispensary across the street. But, Chase glanced over to his left where a bright yellow light on the street corner was turning his head like a moth to a flame.

McDonalds.

Chase licked his lips and grabbed his wallet and keys, leaving his apartment once more, and maybe hoping to get a some hamburgers and a little peace of mind...but mostly hamburgers.

SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA IT'S LATE

Carmen tossed and turned, fast asleep. She started to dream, we fade into her head...

CARMEN'S DREAM SEQUENCE

There's sunshine, it's summer time. Carmen is standing in the backyard of this large suburban house with a nice inground pool and a gazebo nearby. In front of her was a wooded forest while the house stood behind her.

Carmen wasn't wearing her usual attire or her mission ware. Instead, she sported a tank top over a pair of men's boxer briefs while a red robe was around her like a jacket but was opened up. Carmen looked in front of her in the pool, seeing a small family of ducks wandering over the fence. Carmen giddily smiled.

Next to her on a small table was a bag of stale bread. She grabbed it and tore it up, throwing the pieces into the pool, hoping to attract the ducks. A small chicken coop looking gangplank was attached from the edge and going into the water near the other side of the shallow end.

Carmen threw some bread inside the pool and felt herself involuntarily walking inside the water, walking down the steps inside. She felt her waist getting submerged.

"C'mon. It's okay, Hey, I got some bread. I have some bread here."

While she fed the ducks we cut to inside the kitchen, where from the window a woman watches Carmen feed the ducks. We see that it is Tigress, sporting her old blowout hairdo, sipping from a coffee mug. "Her and those ducks" she sneered.

And we're back outside. Carmen's talking to the ducks. "Hey and if you don't like that ramp, I can build you another one, I dunno. Maybe it's the wood?" The ducks weren't paying attention, they were merely enjoying their free meal in this chlorinated pond. "Hey everyone! Look at the ducks! Look at the ducks, they're flying!" Carmen called.

The ducks had their fill and started to flap away. Carmen didn't seem to notice Tigress exit into the backyard, standing on the side of the pool, towering over Carmen. "Hey, did you see the ducks?" An oblivious Carmen asked.

"Why don't you just snap out of it! This is obviously a dream!" Tigress snapped.

"No It's not! How could this be a dream?" Carmen asked.

"You're in a robe...feeding ducks...in a pool...and you're married to me! What does the pool have to turn into a giant sink hole to convince you?"

"What?"

Suddenly, the pool did just that. The ducks managed to fly away while Carmen was slowly twisted around the swirling water and sucked inside. "You'd better not mess this up! She needs you, you know!" Tigress called just as Carmen was sucked down, falling into a seemingly empty abyss.

SEATTLE WASHINGTON ! HOURS

Chase crossed the street and braved the rain soaked half block to the golden arches on the corner. A car drove past splashing some puddle water onto Chase, he didn't seem to notice. As he entered the parking lot, he turned to see his Interpol Doppelganger.

"Hey! I know you!" Chase obliviously called.

"You disgust me, Devineaux! You stand here eating fast food while the real Marauder plunders the world!"

"They will find her! She is Al Pacino's wife! How hard can that be?" Chase asked himself.

Doppelganger Chase facepalmed. "You know who it is, Devineaux! You've always known! But you're too afraid to answer to your own mistakes. Until you realize that, you will always be a failure!"

"No! I'm not a failure! G-Go away, I do not know you!" Chase ironically called before running inside. On the street corner were two homeless guys who saw Chase actually yelling at himself and both shrugged.

Chase trudged inside, seeing his Doppelganger nowhere to be seen...because he's a hallucination. Dripping wet, he sauntered up to the counter. It was getting late and virtually no one was around sans a few employees and a few customers who were about as inebriated as Chase. On the music speakers, Tom's Diner by Suzanne Vega was playing at a quiet yet melodic volume.

The cheery clerk greeted the Frenchman, because Chase hasn't filled his obnoxious overly happy person quota just yet. "Welcome to McDonalds. How may I help you?"

A bloodshot eyed Chase stared at the lady for a beat as her cheery smile soon turned into an awkward smile. Chase glanced up at the menu board above her.

"Yes" he finally said in a slow enunciating voice. "I would like...let's see" he said before turning his head, seeing his Doppelganger at a nearby table shaking his head in disapproval. Chase turned back to the Clerk. "I would like...hamburgers."

"Okay then, one hamburger?" she read the order back to him.

"Wait" Chase said. "Is there a limit?"

"Shoot no, this is America! You can buy as many as you can afford" she happily answered.

This suited Chase just fine.

Smash cut to outside the slop and grease fest. Chase had multiple bags of hamburgers as he braved the storm once more, now also holding a large diet Coke with one of those paper straws which shall be unusable by the time he returns across the street. He saw his Doppelganger on the corner, again shaking his head in disapproval. Chase scowled and kept on walking.

CARMEN'S DREAM SEQUENCE

Carmen was walking in the dark towards a bright light...never a good sign. When she walked through the light, her eyes adjusted. She saw she was in what looked like a rundown body shop. Several cars were inside, notably a 1968 Cadillac Eldorado. Out of nowhere, Zack and Ivy entered, wearing matching three piece suits circa the 1950's with black fedoras and sunglasses. Carmen sees she is now in her trademark mission ware. Each redhead grabs her by an arm. "Come on, Carm. We have to go" Zack said.

Carmen turns towards the office and sees Shadowsan, whose back is to her. He is watching the TV where we see it is a newscast. Carmen squinted her eyes, and saw what looked like her getting blown away in a hail of gunfire. Shadowsan turned to her, he is wearing his old Kimono from his time at V.I.L.E. He said nothing and turned back around. Carmen turned again to see Steve Buscemi as Steve Buscemi, but he was wearing a greasy blue jumpsuit, his sewn in name read: TONY B. The two forced Carmen into the back seat and got in front. Zack floored it right through the garage door...like literally crashed through the garage door, but yet, no scratch on the ancient Eldorado...because dream.

Carmen looked out the window, she was driving through a beautiful countryside. She looked next to her, Ivy was now sitting there. Carmen looked in front of her, Zack now sat shotgun, but driving was Dexter Wolfe. Carmen knew it was him.

He held up a pack of Camel cigarettes. "Anybody mind?" he asked.

"Uh, no dad. Go ahead" Carmen said awkwardly.

She saw and heard the trademark flick of a Zippo lighter open, and Dexter lit a cigarette, coughing immediately. Carmen looked over to where Zack was sitting, but he was now Dr. Bellum. Carmen then turned next to her, and no longer was Ivy sitting there, but Coach Brunt.

"Hey you monster, I know I'm dreaming now" Carmen scolded Brunt.

Brunt turned, smirking down at her. "You got no idea what's coming to you, Lambkins. And all because you couldn't save her."

"Save who, who are you talking about?" Carmen demanded. She then looked in front of her again. "Where are going, anyway?"

Suddenly, instead of Bellum occupying the passenger seat, it was now one of Shark Head Eddie's cronies: Bobby, the Joe Pantoliano-looking guy. "Driving you to the job."

Carmen then turned next to her, again. DISMAYED and wide-eyed she was to see it was Marauder. Carmen's wide brown eyes were solely focused on the masked villainess now sitting next to her.

"I couldn't save you? I did this to you" Carmen said solemnly.

The car then stopped abruptly. Carmen looked, only Dexter was in the car with her. He turned to face her, but Carmen gets wide eyed again seeing he has a bloody bullet hole in his forehead. "They sure don't make skulls like they used to, huh Carm?" he joked. Carmen had no words. "Anyway, you should get inside. They're waiting for you" he then turned forward. Carmen slowly exited the vehicle, in a dark void yet again. She turned around, and the car was gone.

SEATTLE WASHINGTON $#!& HOURS

A sopping wet Chase sloshed his way down the hallway on his floor. He could smell the grease and unknown slop seeping through the soggy bags. He neared his door, his neighbor had just closed his. An Asian teenager had a Door Dash insulated bag, he was about to leave.

A bloodshot eyed Chase looked at the young man pass him, but for a fleeting glance, he looked like Marauder. "Yo. What are you staring at?"

Chase shook his head, it was the kid again. "W-where did she go?" he asked.

"Who?" the guy asked in frustration.

"You know who!" Chase called before running to his door, scrambling to unlock it. "B-B-But, but, but I don't! So you tell him that, next you see him!" Chase slurred before opening up his door, slamming it shut behind him and quickly locking it up.

The Door Dasher rolled his head. "What the f—, whatever, man. Seattle's so freaking weird" he said before walking down the hall.

Inside the apartment, Chase fell to the floor against the door after he had locked it. That was a close one. He hobbled over to the table, and dumped a soggy sack of burger slop on top, unwrapping the trademark Dijon mustard yellow wrapping paper and shoving half the short order mess into his face.

And it was the greatest thing he ever tasted...well, he thought at the time it was the greatest thing he ever tasted, which hopefully was a total lie. Two bites later, Chase finished the burger, chased it with a sip of liquid aspartame, and went for another burger.

Sitting in his only other chair across from him was his Doppelganger, and once again, he was not amused. "You useless deadbeat!"

"He was supposed to tell you!"

"You do not know him, Devineaux!"

"Go away! I am eating!" Chase hollered at him.

"You sit here eating this poor excuse for food while your enemies laugh at you."

Chase said nothing, he simply looked away and took another sip of his diet Coke.

"You know who it is, Devineaux. I am not leaving until you understand!"

"Then I will drown you out!" Chase called. He ran over to his TV and turned up the volume, the song playing was Nine Is God by Wavves.

"You know it is Argent!" Doppelganger yelled.

"WHAT!?" Chase mockingly called.

"Admit it! You know it is Argent and you pushed her into their arms!"

"WHAT!?"

"GRRR!" In a fit of frustration, the Doppelganger punched Chase in the face, which snapped him out of it. Chase was again alone, and he turned the volume down marginally. He ran into the bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror. He splashed some water on his bloodshot eyed face as he was slowly starting to feel quite woozy, this must've been the melatonin kicking in.

He looked at himself in the mirror and the image looking back at him was Julia, she winked and the image cut to Marauder. Chase slapped himself, splashing more water down his face and neck. He looked at himself in the mirror, it was him again.

CARMEN'S DREAM SEQUENCE

Carmen walked through the darkness, but came to the outline of a door. She opened it, closing it behind her. Carmen was no longer in her mission ware, she was wearing a pantsuit in pin stripes and it was well tailored.

She looked like she was in the halls of Justice or something. She approached the pair of double doors and there was Zack and Ivy, wearing bailiffs outfits. "I-I-I-Is this the job?" Carmen asked.

"No" Zack deadpanned.

"It's your future" Ivy deadpanned as well. They each opened up the doors and Carmen entered, and sure enough, it was a courtroom. All the eyes were on her. Several faceless nobodies sat in the crowd, among some faces she recognized. Two lawyers sat at the Plaintiff's bench. One lawyer was Roundabout, the other was Countess Cleo.

Carmen approached the opposite table, stunned to see Julia sitting on the defendant's side, her wrists handcuffed. "Carmen! Thank heaven you're here! You'll save me, right!?"

Carmen nervously gulped. "Of course I will, Jules. I promise" Carmen said patting her on the shoulder.

Brunt, now a bailiff enters the court. "All rise, for the dishonorable Judge Maelstrom" she said.

Of course who should approach the bench but Gunnar, wearing a long powdered wig and the black Judge's robes. He took his seat and slammed the gavel.

"Order! This is the case of the people verses Julia Argent. The prosecution has an opening statement?"

Cleo rose and approached the bench. She wore her usual attire while Roundabout now wore robes that gave him the appearance of a monk. "We are here today because of one woman! Her, right there! Carmen Sandiego!" Cleo pointed to a dumbfounded Carmen. "She is the one responsible for turning that poor woman next to her into a career criminal."

Carmen turned to Julia, now sobbing uncontrollably.

"I-I-I didn't know—I didn't do that!" Carmen hollered. She turned around and saw Vivian Hanna behind her, she knew of her appearance through Player's hacking. "It was her! She's the real Marauder!"

"You sure about that?" Vivian asked.

"Um...ww-w-well, I-I'm not so sure" Carmen stammered. She winked and saw Vivian as Marauder, she winked again and she was gone. Carmen turned to see Marauder now sitting next to her.

"Has the jury reached a verdict?" Gunnar asked.

"Wait! I never gave my statement! We never cross-examined!" Carmen called trying to be all lawyer-y. She then turned to the jury, made up entirely of clones of Zack and Ivy.

"Guilty!" they called.

Carmen stood dumbfounded once more, next to her was Julia again, still sobbing. Gunnar raised his gavel. "So it is said, so it shall be. I hereby sentence Julia Argent to a term NO LESS than one million lifetimes in a cold, dank, understaffed, and unkempt prison. Where it is forbidden to mention art history facts!"

Julia sobbed again as the doors opened and a long chain flew in, wrapping itself around Julia's torso and pulling her out. "Noooooooo!" the doors slammed shut behind her.

"Jules! Wait! I'm sorry!" Carmen called, then hung her head. "I'm sorry."

She looked up, and everyone in the courtroom was now pointing at her. Carmen then tried to run away for the doors, a length that seemed to get further and further the faster she ran. Everyone's faces suddenly turned into Marauder and Carmen could hear her disembodied voice in her head. "That's right Carmen! I'm still out there! Hunting you!" Carmen neared the doors ad Marauder laughed maniacally. Carmen finally jumped through the doors, back into the abyss.

SEATTLE WASHINGTON ()*& HOURS

The storm outside raged onward. While the storm in Chase's head was brewing just as intensely. The Frenchman slugged down two more gross excuses for hamburgers and another gulp of his sugarless Coke.

The melatonin was taking him over. Chase was yawning like a bored preschooler. Yet ironically he was too paranoid to want to shut his eyes and sleep. To remedy this, he paced about his apartment, another joint was between his fingers, but was unlit.

"Ha-ha, he won't get the best of me! No sir! That stupid hallucination has no clue what he is talking about! The loud-mouth detective's wife is the villain who has been causing myself and Carmen Sandiego unending agony!" He shouted, ending his stoned soliloquy. But then he sighed, falling back into his chair, staring up at the naked walls once hanging his string boards. "I mean, she is right? The evidence is all there! It could not have been...could not have been..." Chase hung his head.

Could it have been him? After all, he wasn't always the nicest person to Julia. If you look at his track record he was actually quite the world-class jerk-face. There was the condescension because he is both jealous and insecure with Julia's superior intellect or her ability to problem solve.

There was his obsession with trying to capture Carmen, which was always a strain on their relationship as it was Julia who was there to help her again, and again. Chase envied Julia, he felt like he was inferior to her, and it never sat well with him. If she was in fact Marauder, did Chase drive her so batty she actually flipped?

"What is wrong with me? I could not have done this to Julia...right? It is not her!"

Chase then looked longingly out to his balcony doors watching the northwestern thunderstorm rampage its way through the Emerald city. The image on screen burs and we fade into a flashback.

1-ISH YEARS AGO

PARIS FRANCE 1033 HOURS

Were inside the Interpol building. Chase enters down the main hallway, swagger in his walk, smug smile on his lips, aviator sunglasses on his eyes, toothpick in the mouth, and wearing his lucky coat! He closes in on his messy office but is stopped by his Supervisor, next to him, Julia.

"Inspector Devineaux."

"Bonjour monsieur, qui est-elle?"

"Observant as ever. This is your new partner, Julia Argent, of Gloucestershire" he said in English.

Chase raised an eyebrow at the word: Gloucestershire. "Oh, it's in England" Julia casually explained, reaching out her hand for a handshake. Chase awkwardly rebuffed her, forcing Julia to more awkwardly putting her hand back down to her side.

He looked over at The Supervisor with a raised eyebrow, his smug smirk gone. "Je dois supposer que vous souhaitez que je parle en anglaise? With her?" he then said in French, then English.

"Most of our senior field agents communicate in English, it would be best for your development to try" he insisted.

"What happened to Chenault?"

"Mr. Chenault requested a transfer to evidence, he said something about your temperament."

Chase crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. "As long as she does not get in my way."

"That is the spirit. Miss Argent, I leave you in capable hands" he patted her on the shoulder before leaving.

Julia entered the office and took a seat at the desk opposite Chase, almost like their office at A.C.M.E. Julia picked up her attaché case and placed it on the desk, taking out a laptop, and a notepad. She turned around in her swivel chair to face her new and unamused partner.

"I do speak French, you know. We may speak your native tongue if you so prefer."

"It will please you to know I can speak yours. Trying to one-up me on your first day, huh?"

"No, certainly not. I do not wish to make you uncomfortable."

"Then leave the inspecting to me, Miss Agent."

"Um, Argent."

"Whatever you say."

"Well, I have heard much about you. You are a fine Inspector I'm told."

"Of course I am. Now, what is your specialty? Can you break down doors?" Chase asked.

"Um, no" Julia awkwardly chuckled.

"Firearms training?"

"Quite handy—oh, I am also a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. I have my bachelors in history—"

"History?" a confused Chase raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, I adore history, you know. So much culture and beauty in our world."

"This world is very dull and history bores me to no end. It's about stuff that already happened!" Chase deadpanned. "The only real joy on this earth is catching your enemies like flies in a bottle and watching them stew in a lake of their own guilt" Chase finished, picking up a pack of his favorite mints, popping one. "But you stick with me, Miss Augent, and I will make you into a force to be reckoned with."

"Um, again, it's Argent" she awkwardly corrected him. "There's an "R" after the "A", you see."

"Less chitty-chat and more analyzing" Chase ordered. "We have cases to close and criminals to put behind bars. There is this new dastardly mastermind stealing valuable objects and money the world over. She calls herself Carmen Sandiego, but I like to refer to her as La Femme Rouge" Chase explained, showing Julia a grainy snapshot of one of Carmen's early heists.

"Oh, because she wears red, I'm assuming?"

"That sounds like chitty-chat" Chase warned her.

"Right then, of course."

The two got to work as Chase popped another mint and looked into the black mirror of his computer screen, finally taking off his sunglasses.

PRESENT DAY

SEATTLE WASHINGTON !) ( HOURS

We fade to Chase, who couldn't have looked more opposite than his former self. His self before Carmen Sandiego, and before Julia Argent. But boy, was he an even bigger jerk then? Chase turned seeing his phone on the burger and cannabis littered tabletop.

He grabbed it, and shuffled through to his call list, where Julia was his previous nuisance call. Little did Chase know what would be on the other line. But he was suspicious, he had to know something. He needed to know the truth, even if it hurt him. Not knowing almost seemed worse...or was something going on in the back of Chase's mind? With a light of the stuff Chase took a puff of courage, and pressed redial.

BATTLE CREEK MICHIGAN SAME TIME

Inside Julia's room at V.I.L.E. It was starting to rain there, too. We see a nightstand next to the bed. Chief's pistol laid on top of it, and right next to that, Julia's phone. Julia was under the covers, staring at it. Tigress laid next to her. The two of them couldn't take their eyes off it.

"What if, what if like, we sleep and he just leaves a message?" Tigress asked.

"No. We must answer the call."

"What if he doesn't call back?"

"He w—"

Julia couldn't even get the words out when the phone began to vibrate. Tigress put her hand to her mouth. Julia took a deep breath and reached for the phone, it was Chase. She took one more deep breath, put on a fake smile and opened the call.

"Um, "Special" Agent Devineaux. It's rather late, don't you think?" she said.

There was a long pause. It seemed like an eternity. Julia's heart pounded as she waited for an answer from Chase...if she was even going to get one. Eventually she would, and he did speak, in a very groggy and slow voice.

"I...wanted to see how you were doing."

"Oh? I was told you called, earlier?"

"Somebody else answered your phone. You weren't at work, today."

Tigress gulped. Julia took another deep breath. "I am dreadfully sorry I did not tell you sooner. I needed to return to England. My mother came down with an awful case of pneumonia and we feared the worst. M-my sister picked up the phone before but told me you simply hung up" Julia sighed nervously.

. . .

We turn over to Chase who just took another drag. "That is...too bad. I am sorry to hear that."

"She is recovering fine."

"What was that thing you needed to tell me the other night, at Anthony's?"

There was a slight pause. "Oh, that, silly me. I just wanted to let you know all the debriefs from the Vatican operation were complete."

"Hmm. You drove nearly fifty kilometers one way just to tell me that? That could easily have waited. Seems like a lot of trouble" he sighed, Chase tried to control his breathing as there was another long pause.

"I simply wanted to be proactive. I wish to be as talented a secret agent as yourself."

That seemed plausible and certainly in Julia's character. Chase seemed like he was getting nowhere...or was he?

. . .

Back to Julia and Tigress. The two were on the edge of their seats, sitting up now in the bed, both wearing something more suited for naptime. Tigress held onto Julia's free hand as she nervously waited for a response from Chase.

"I must confess. There is another reason why I have called. I have decided to quit A.C.M.E. I will be returning very soon to Poitiers."

Julia raised an eyebrow. "What?" she asked with fake concern. "But why? This what you wanted, no?"

"I cannot do this anymore, Miss Argent. Marauder is too strong, too powerful. A.C.M.E. needs someone who is mentally capable, who does not fall on the hood of their car repeatedly, someone who can get the job done. That someone just isn't me."

Julia smirked upon hearing that news but kept her concerned composure. "Oh. I am so very sorry you feel that way, Special Agent Devineaux. But rest assured, she will be brought to justice. We'll do it for you. I uh, I heard through a directive from Chief that Marauder was unmasked. What do you think about that?"

Another pause. Julia could hear what sounded like the familiar mouth blowing out a candle noise. On the other side Chase had taken another drag. "Have I told you the story, of that politician I had to terminate?" Chase asked, not answering Julia's question...or did he?

"The man from New Caledonia, of course."

"Well, he had a son. Worked with the DGSE. Good agent, well respected, much like his father. But it turns out he was selling National secrets to the highest bidder for the drug cartels in South America so he could feed an addiction."

Julia's expression slowly turned to dread, and Tigress had her hands over her mouth. "A traitor, you mean?"

"Oui. One thing led to another and I was tasked to bring him in. He knew I was coming, there was a struggle in an elevator and I was able to...I was able to end his life."

Once again there was silence, but this time it was deafening. Julia took a deep breath as she could still hear Chase breathing on the other line. She didn't want to appear nervous or worried but this conversation was slowly getting out of hand. "Why are you telling me this?" she asked.

"...You are the smartest, kindest person I know, Julia. I need you to tell me I am not a failure. That I have done good things. That I am not a bad person."

"You are a good man, deep down. You did a good thing, Devineaux" she said before we get an extreme close-up on her face. "Bad people deserve to die" she said with a slight sneer in her voice.

"I agree."

"Such a shame I am not here to bid you farewell. Will I see you again? I wish to say goodbye in person" she said in a hopeful voice, glancing over to Chief's pistol.

Another pause.

. . .

Chase is sweating. I mean really sweating. He got an adrenaline rush from the conversation, his heart beating fast. He didn't know what to think. Julia seemed so tepid, so nonchalant...there was something sinisterly familiar in her voice. But yet, Chase tried to shake this increasingly uneasy feeling. He slowly moved the phone away from his ear and wordlessly ended the call. He hung his head and sighed.

. . .

Julia heard the call hang up. Tigress was on edge. "OMG! He knows! He totally knows!"

"No he does not. He's suspicious, yes. But he was only fishing, as I predicted."

"Babe! I've seen enough HBO dramas to know an implicit threat when I hear one."

"He knows nothing, he just wants to make sure. I gave him enough to placate him and enough to keep him guessing. I want to drive him and Carmen Sandiego insane. And, when the time comes, they will both be dealt with."

"Dealt with?" Tigress retorted.

"Dealt with. In less than twenty-four hours my tiger, Carmen Sandiego will meet her demise in Los Angeles. And with Devineaux...who knows, maybe he will make a surprise visit, again, just to make sure" Julia said giving a very nervous Tigress a kiss before laying down in bed. Tigress laid next to her, uneasy.

SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA I DUNNO, IT'S LATE, I'M TIRED

Speaking of uneasy, Carmen was still in bed, fast asleep, and dreaming. But now, we see her emerging from her bed, sleep walking like she was earlier in Paris. She stood up and with an unsteady gait, walked for the door, the pistol was left on the table.

CARMEN'S DREAM SEQUENCE

Inside the dream, Carmen was sprinting through the dark abyss, back in her mission outfit once more. She could hear screams and what sounded like Julia crying out to her. Carmen finally stopped as she turned a corner, it looked like the backdrop of a police lineup where one gets a mugshot. There was Julia, holding up a placard which read: GUILTY. Carmen approached her former friend and current crush.

"You were supposed to protect me."

"Jules! I-I-I can get you out of this! I promise! This is just a nightmare."

"For me it will be! You and your lies! You're in this only for yourself!"

"That's not true!" Carmen snapped back, tears in both their eyes.

"Yes it is! You are selfish and you will take anyone down with you as long as you can avenge your miserable upbringing! That's what this has always been about!"

Suddenly, the two fell through the abyss, because dream, and Carmen was outside what looked like a barred cell. Julia was now inside it, wearing a black and white striped prison uniform.

"And now I am forced to rot in here all because of you! While the real Marauder is still out there!"

"I will find her! I promise!" Carmen begged, now sobbing and on her knees.

"Your promises are empty, and your words meaningless" Julia hissed.

"Jules...I'm sorry. I would do anything for you. I love you" Carmen sobbed.

"If you really loved me you'd complete the job" Julia demanded.

"The job?" Carmen asked.

She stood up and turned around and there was Marauder, taunting her. Carmen narrowed her eyes and ran off after her, Julia remained in her cell until it all vanished.

EVERETT WASHINGTON SAME TIME  
Irene Falco was in her California King sized bed. She rolled over, she was awoken by the unfamiliar feel of nothing. Anthony was not next to her. She sat up in her bed, he wasn't in their bathroom. "Tone'?"

Because Anthony was downstairs in their mud room. He couldn't sleep. We see him in front of the washer and dryer practicing some tough guy words. "I know it was you"...no, that doesn't—"I know what you did." No. I—"hey Julia, it's"—no, I should just confront her. "Argent, Anthony Falco, yeah remember when you infiltrated my house"...no."

We see in front of Anthony is his phone, opened to contacts, he opened up Julia and had his thumb right next to the call button. He was practicing what he wanted to say to let her know he was onto her.

Suddenly, Anthony heard a buzzing. His coat was hung up nearby. He reached into his pocket, it was his A.C.M.E. pen. The clicker was blinking. He gave it three clicks and a hologram of a directive appeared. "Crime net...V.I.L.E. heist...Los Angeles...tomorrow night. All available call-signs from Operation La Femme Rouge requested for immediate deployment" Anthony read. He sighed. "Guess that's me—"

"Anthony?"

Anthony quickly hid his pen behind him as Irene sneaked into the mud room. "Honey!"

"What are you doing up? And down here?"

"Oh um—I lost a big client today, that's why I've been so...so weird. I couldn't sleep so I was practicing my pitch. Um, short notice but I got a quick business trip down in LA, I should be back by tomorrow night, maybe the next day."

"Short notice as in...?"

"I gotta go like now. I'm sorry hon, but there's a promotion riding on this."

"Carrie has her recital on Sunday" Irene crossed her arms.

"And I'll be there, I promise. One night" Anthony assured her, giving her a cute lip kiss. Irene wasn't moved.

"What's going on, Anthony?"

"Nothing. Like I said, I lost a client. Bad day that's all" He promised her before grabbing his phone and his coat and walking away. Irene turned around.

"Why was your pen all lit up?" Irene asked.

Anthony stopped dead in his tracks, and sighed. "It was a promotional thing from Microsoft, it's a pen you can use in the dark. Pretty cool, right?"

"I guess" a suspicious Irene deadpanned. She watched Anthony walk down the hall towards the stairs.

CARMEN'S DREAM SEQUENCE

Carmen was out of the abyss. She wore her mission ware, but now with the shoulder holster on with the gun. She seemed like she was walking through a lily blossom forest, some flowers were falling from the trees. She walked into a large pagoda-looking building. In front of her was a hostess who was clearly Akari but wearing a kimono. There were multiple doors behind her.

"You are late" Akari hissed.

"Something I had to take care of. I'm here now" Carmen tried to muscle her way past Akari but she was blocked. Akari pointed to a sign: NO FIREARMS ALLOWED.

"But I need it" Carmen begged.

"We have something for you" Akari pointed to a table, there was the Katana Shadowsan stole many years ago but since returned. Akari held out her hands, silently demanding Carmen's gun.

Carmen reached for the gun and pulled it out, raising an eyebrow as it was now a banana.

"Trying to be cute?" Akari asked.

"Not with you" Carmen hissed. She walked over and grabbed the katana, opening it slightly from the sheath and looking at her reflection in the steel blade.

SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA DARKNESS

A sleepwalking Carmen was now in the kitchen. She found herself in a zombified state, she approached the knife block in the kitchen, pulling a butchers knife out of the block and making a kung fu pose.

CARMEN'S DREAM SEQUENCE

Carmen had the most serious of serious faces on as she entered the doors, which revealed to be a large casino complete with slots and tables, the whole schmear. The theme of course was Japanese.

Carmen heard gunshots. She ran throughout the casino, the shots grew louder. She ran into a high roller room with a baccarat table. Her eyes were wide when she caught a glimpse of Chief who held a smoking gun, the victim was Dexter Wolfe.

Carmen froze in her tracks. Chief turned to face her. "There were no guns allowed" Carmen said with no emotion.

"The exception proves the rule" Chief answered, making no sense, but it's a dream.

"I'm here for the job."

"And you're late. Do you even know what the job is?" Chief asked.

"Saving her!" Carmen hollered. There was a TV attached to the wall next to them, a picture of Julia was on it.

"Then you're definitely too late" Carmen knew that voice. She turned away from the TV, Chief was gone, and replaced with Marauder. Dexter Wolfe was also gone and in his place were the corpses of Zack, Ivy, and Shadowsan.

Carmen eyed up her opponent. She unsheathed the katana and we get a cool effect of Carmen's reflection off the blade. Marauder smiled and simply held up her hands. "I'm unarmed."

"No. You're a dead woman!"

Carmen charged. Marauder didn't move. She impaled her opponent with unusual ease. Marauder fell down to the floor, the blade still in Marauder's gut. Carmen threw off the mask, relieved it was the dying face of Vivian Hanna. "I knew it" she said with some relief.

"No you don't"

Carmen looked up. Black Sheep now towered over her. "You!" Carmen called.

"Why don't you take a second look."

Carmen looked down and nearly collapsed. It was Julia, a small trail of blood escaping her mouth, her eyes lifeless. "NO! I-It can't! I-I-I saved her!"

"You killed her" Black Sheep mused. "All that talk about how your feelings were repressed romantic overtures and you still eliminated her without a second thought. The one person you had an attraction to. You're a menace. You might as well just realize it. Like I've been telling you all along, Carmen."

"NO!" Carmen sobbed, holding the lifeless Julia in her arms. "This is a nightmare."

"No it ain't, Lambkins" Carmen looked up, seeing Coach Brunt above her. "You can try and run from V.I.L.E. all you want...but nobody knows you better than us. So why don't you listen to your inner rage here and come back to the flock, like a good little sheep. You got nothing left anyway, why waste more time. Join us, Lambkins."

Carmen looked around, the Faculty now surrounded her. Carmen sobbed looking down at Julia's body, but instead she was looking right at herself. Carmen gasped.

SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA QUITE LATE

Carmen finally awoke to the sound of police sirens passing the lair, growing quieter as they continued down the road. Carmen was a gasped. She was in the gym now, her sleepwalking brought her there What was more shocking was Carmen was against the heavy bag...but she had a grip on the knife...which was impaled inside the bag. A wide eyed Carmen pulled it out, and some sand plumed out of the fresh gash inside the material.

Carmen was a sweaty mess as she breathed deeply, staring at the knife and deeply disturbed as to how she ended up there. She went into the kitchen, sliding the knife back into the block, the only sound being the SHING noise of metal to wood.

She trudged up the stairs and to her room where she sat on the edge of her bed. The last thing she wanted to do now was sleep. What a nightmare. Everything Carmen feared about herself in a quick and easy to digest dream sequence of events.

She thought of her friends, now prisoners of V.I.L.E. All her fault. She thought about her recent string of failures brought about by repressed feelings of rage, loss, and love; once again, all her fault...or so she thought.

Finally there was the big mystery. Carmen feared the worst...the same thing Chase feared, that Julia was now part of V.I.L.E. and she drove her into their arms. But Carmen tried to put those feelings out of her head. It had to be Vivian. Despite her ambiguous thoughts, all the evidence, circumstantial though it was, pointed to her.

Carmen wiped some tears from her eyes and put on a determined look. She glanced over to her pistol, where Julia's prophetic statement nearly two weeks in the making echoed in her head. A statement began Carmen's mental decline.

"They were right about you!"

Carmen hung her head. She was confused, tired, love-struck, ashamed, but most importantly...she was alone. But one thing was for sure, if she was going down, she was going down swinging, and come hell or high water, she'd get her closure.

SEATTLE WASHINGTON $# ! HOURS

Chase sat on the chair, half a joint betwixt his fingers, and his phone in his other hand. Chase was desperate. He wasn't sure anymore and in his relaxed mental state he didn't know what was right or wrong anymore.

More importantly, something about that phone call was disturbing to him...the other night in the car, disturbing to him...his foggy memory and Julia's behavior disturbing to him. Maybe everyone was right? But if they were, that would mean it was Chase who probably turned Julia on a path to evil.

He started to sob. Desperate for any kind of sign to the contrary. He looked up, Doppelganger Chase sat on his couch now.

"Are you willing to accept the truth?" he asked. "Finally?"

Chase looked away, hanging his head. He put the phone on the table and sighed, making a light nod. "I know you are in my head."

"And your head is going to make you believe the truth. It will hurt Devineaux...but you can avenge your name, and you know how to do it. Now, take a deep breath."

Chase raised an eyebrow. He looked down at the joint and then realized what his Doppelganger hallucination meant. He took a long inhale, and let the smoke sit inside his mouth and slowly blew it out. His vision grew spotty and blurry once more as all the recent events of the past two weeks played out in his head... The next song playing was The Great Gig In The Sky by Pink Floyd which played over this painful sequence.

"While you were out buying pastries and coffee, I stayed here burning the midnight oil!" Chase turned his head seeing the pre-roll pack reading the same thing.

His mind wandered to his first encounter with Marauder.

"I've learned the identities of all my enemies. It comes from…burning the midnight oil"

These two clips played over and over in his head.

The next was on the airplane coming home from The Vatican. "Oh, I want to know our enemies inside and out. I want to be as thorough an agent as yourself. But I guess I'd have to "burn the midnight oil" a bit more, then wouldn't I?"

Then coming home from Fort Knox. "I'm not as nice as you think, Special Agent Devineaux." Then in the car. "There's so much you do not know about me."

Anthony's warnings played over in his head. "She gets kidnapped and brought to Fort Knox and suddenly Julia is there and Marauder is nowhere to be found! I know Vivian Hanna! She would never do something like this!"

"Stupid Chief called me" he remembered first getting the call from Chief that was repressed in his drunken state.

Then the voicemail itself. "Did I not receive a voicemail, from Chief?"

"First a kiss, now a non-existent voicemail, you should take some time off, I will give you a sedative."

The midnight oil mash-up was interspersed throughout this.

"Bad people deserve to die" her implicit threat hissing in Chase's head.

But this was the kicker. Chase's drunk state made him repress most of the previous evening, but while he was getting his butt handed to him by Marauder, she let one big thing slip that was now replaying in Chase's mind. "All that burning the midnight oil, all for what? Another promotion you don't deserve! It should have been me!"

"I stayed here, burning the midnight oil-burning the midnight oil-burning the midnight oil—"

We then get an image of Marauder taking off her mask revealing Julia, winking at him. Chase then harkened back to the evening at Anthony's.

"Still though, what if it were someone interesting, huh?" Someone like: Anna Akana...Selena Gomez... Julia Argent?"

We see Julia in the Marauder outfit throw up her hands smirking. "You got me."

We cut to a wide eyed Chase looking up from his slump. He couldn't move. His mouth became agape, and the joint fell onto the floor. This was it, he knew the truth now. All the repressed memories came back to him, even though it was painful.

Chase remained frozen...but he knew what he had to do. While Chase looked off into the distance the song changed to Something To Dream About by Myka Relocate which continued to play as the credits rolled. The image of Chase turns blurry as it fades out, as it did in the beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more to go, gang! Woo-hoo! Still taking submissions for sequel titles! Do leave a comment and have a nice day!


	15. In The Flesh

SEATTLE WASHINGTON 0241 HOURS

We're in Chase's apartment. We see in a slow motion shot, the joint hit the floor. Cutting to Chase, he's still frozen after finally coming to the realization that Julia is in fact Marauder, and he certainly played a role in getting her there.

Wow. Chase couldn't have felt more low. He was alone, no friends, no job, and he had nobody who could help him. Chase rose to his feet, the song playing now was 4 Minutes by Madonna and Justin Timberlake.

Chase snapped out of it when he smelt something burning. He looked down, and realized his lit joint set his carpet on fire. Chase quickly tamped it out, but he wasn't going to get his deposit back on that. Chase looked around his messy apartment and shook his head. He composed himself as the song faded.

Smash cut to the stormy weather outside. A BMW drove recklessly through the streets of Seattle. Inside the car we see Chase, driving like a maniac looking like a paranoid bum and trying to steer the car and dial his phone all at the same time.

"Come on-come on! Pick up-pick up pick up-pick up!" Chase screamed into the phone.

"Hello you've reached Anthony Falco, I'm not avail—"

"OH!" Chase groaned. "Never around when I need him!" Chase waited for Anthony's voicemail message to finish. The song picked back up again. "Anthony! It's me-you were right! It's Julia! I believe now—NAY! I know! Don't ask me how I know-but I know! Call me back when you decide to value your job over sleep and we can take her down together! But no stupid training montage...oh, it's Chase Devineaux, by the way" he finished before hanging up. "Maybe he's home. Oh but I better think of a plausible answer in case I get his wife or one of his adorably annoying children" Chase then dialed Anthony's home phone, dodging cars, bums, and road debris alike.

To his mild annoyance, Irene picked up. "Hello?" she groggily answered.

"Irene! It's Chase! Put Anthony on! And tell him to answer his mobile phone!"

"Well, you'll have to keep trying, cause he's not here."

"WHAT!? Where in the world is he?"

"You don't know? He said he had an impromptu "business trip" in Los Angeles." She said with annoyance. Chase's eyed widened. That must be Marauder's next target. "Why weren't you told about this?"

"Well—as the lead salesman, I do other things and I cannot be responsible for everyone working under me" Chase stammered.

Irene paused. "You guys don't sell Microsoft products, do you, Chase?"

Chase groaned. She wouldn't let up and this would only lead to problems with her and Anthony later. Plus, all this was peripheral to Chase, he was a man on a mission. "No we don't, Irene."

"I wouldn't want to know what you guys do, would I, Chase?"

"You definitely would not, Irene."

"You don't do anything illegal, right?"

"On the contrary, we stop the guys doing the illegal things."

"Like the FBI?" she then gasped. "Are you guys spies?"

"Have a good night Irene. I promise Anthony will be back home with you soon."

"It better be by Sunday!"

"Goodnight, Irene" Chase sighed before hanging up speeding like a madman. The song cuts.

We smash cut once again, this time to the super-secret parking structure for the super-secret A.C.M.E. HQ. We hear loud swerves. Chase's car rounds a corner and he brakes abruptly right in front of the entrance.

Inside the HQ, Arturo Rojas was finishing up maintenance on some servers for the front office people. He heard constant banging on the front doors down the hall and decided to go investigate. Another Agent ran up to him.

"What's that banging?" Arturo asked.

"I think its Devineaux" the Agent said.

"Ay Dios mio. He must've heard the news. I bet he's ticked" Arturo sighed. "I'll take care of him."

"Yes sir" the agent said before walking away.

We track Arturo walking towards the main entrance where Chase was flailing his hands to get someone's attention. Arturo let him in. "Arturo! Thank heaven! I don't have time to explain so walk with me! I left my key card here!" Chase explained darting past Arturo who was forced to jog after him. "And I know I smell like weed, do not remind me!"

"Look, Chase, if it's about the demot—"

"No time for chitty-chat!" Chase shouted. "Run with me!"

They ran up to Chief's office. Arturo was trying to explain something of importance to Chase but the Frenchman ignored him as per his usual, he's still not perfect. He opened the mailbox, and as Chief wasn't there to pick up its contents on the other side, his resignation letter remained. He happily sighed and picked it up. He got out his key card which he returned and then comically tore up the letter, throwing the contents onto the floor. Arturo caught up with him.

"I hereby rescind my resignation! And I am returning to work and live in this wonderful but unhealthy country effective immediately!"

"Um, didn't know you resigned, but glad to have you back" Arturo stated. "Look—"

"Call Falco, we need to plan our next move!"

"Um, that's gonna be a problem, he's halfway to LA by now."

"Then get me on a chopper!" Chase demanded.

"I can't just do that, man. You'll need Chief's personal approval or a field Special Agent's—"

"Yes that would be me! I want something fast moving with a mini bar!"

"Chase! That's what I've been trying to tell you. Chief just sent a directive an hour ago...she demoted you. You're a regular agent again."

"WHAT!?" Chase fumed.

"Check it" Arturo took out his A.C.M.E. pen, and opened a hologram of a directive from Chief stating that effective immediately Chase would be back to regular agent status. Chase of course knew some skullduggery was afoot, and now that he was no longer in denial, he had a good idea as to whom actually made such a directive in Chief's name.

"Argent!" Chase sneered. "Anthony was right. She must've had Chief kidnapped and now she can make phony orders to throw us all off her trail and we'll never know the difference."

"What are you talking about, brother?" Arturo asked.

"Agent Argent, she's been playing for us and for V.I.L.E. She is Marauder."

"Wait, but what about Vivian Hanna?"

"Scapegoat!" Chase interjected. "She wanted everyone off her back but I know the truth! Ha-ha!"

"Whoa-whoa-whoa, slow down" Arturo urged him, trying to process Chase's accusation. "Argent. Mousy, unassuming, remembers-everybody's-name-and-birthday Argent...is the new villain that's been kicking us in the butt for the past week?"

"The perfect crime! Who would suspect she would be such an insane criminal mastermind?" Chase asked. "But I know the truth! So does Anthony—not to mention Agent Zari was suspicious."

"Besides your wild accusations, how do you know for sure?" Arturo asked.

"You will have to trust me, Special Agent Rojas. I have no concrete proof, but I will find it, and when I do I will bring it back and we can use that to throw the book at her! I hope whichever prison we throw her in it is as far away from a museum or library as possible to further punish her!"

"We can't just—"

"Arturo! Need I remind you SHE is the reason your girlfriend is in a coma right now?" Chase asked.

Arturo sighed, and rubbed his forehead. "Zari never did have any beef with Vivian anyhow."

"And I bet she never told shining stories of Julia, did she?"

"They weren't glowing" Arturo nodded. "Alright, I'll level with you Chase, but for Zari."

"For Zari" they shook hands.

"I can give you the full support of the analysts, but I can't promise the rest of the staff. And because I'm an analysts I can't hand you any vehicles per protocol."

"Fine. I want to keep this as need-to-know as possible, I don't know if Argent has anybody else on our payroll involved in her fiendish plans. Can you trust your analysts?"

"You insult me" Arturo crossed his arms.

"Aside from your staff, only talk about our plans through me, Falco, or Zari when she wakes up."

"Got it."

"Field Agents can still charter planes if they cannot get transportation. Get me a Southwest flight to LAX—anything but Delta!" Chase demanded. "Never again will I be forced to endure the agony of a Delta Airlines flight."

"Yeah, that's another problem."

"What do you mean?" Chase asked.

"Bad timing, Sea-Tac Airport got a massive bomb scare and all flights are grounded. God only knows when they'll be done sweeping the place" Arturo explained.

Chase facepalmed. He had no time to waste. "Forget it! I'll drive there myself!" he hollered before starting down the hall. Arturo was in tow.

"What? Chase! Were three hours from Canada. Los Angeles is two hours from Mexico! It'll take you all day to drive down there! It's like a fifteen hour trip! Minimum!"

"Then I'd better get started!" Chase called before running outside. He was about to get in his car before Arturo stopped at the door.

"Chase!" he called, Chase looked up. "Zari always said you were adequate."

Chase almost shed a tear. "That's the nicest thing she ever said about me."

"So go win one for her."

"And you get a hold of Anthony!" Chase called before getting into his car.

"Will do!"

Chase sped through the parking structure and down to the street. He set a course for LA and made a mad dash for the Five, Seattle in his rearview. He had but one thing on his mind.

SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA 0900 HOURS

Forward in time, the sun rises inland of San Diego. Carmen's alarm starts to blare the radio, which played You Keep Me Hangin' On by Vanilla Fudge...which should sound familiar from a while ago. We get an extreme close-up on Carmen as her eyes adjust to sunlight.

She was laying in her bed, a fairly restful night's rest after her sleepwalking nightmare scenario. But just to be on the safe side we cut back to reveal Carmen had handcuffed herself to the bed frame to avoid any more unwanted incidents.

She sighed, reaching for the nightstand she grabbed a pair of handcuff keys and unshackled her right wrist. The song picked up as we see Carmen dressing, some shots of her going for a jog. She past the 76 where she stopped the robbery, a banner on top of the convenience store said: WE MISS YOU, RED! Carmen sighed. She didn't feel like a hero. She felt like a basket case. She went home and made herself a smoothie for breakfast. The cracked big screen TV turned on, and Player appeared on screen. The song fades out.

"Hey Red."

"I hope you got some V.I.L.E. chatter?"

"The Broad."

"How misogynistic of you" Carmen quipped.

"Ha-ha. The Broad is a museum...Not too far away, actually. It's a contemporary art museum named after Eli and Edyth Broad who financed the place for nearly 140 million dollars. Located in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles, California. Second most populated city in the United States right after New York."

"And an easy and convenient two hour drive to get there. When's the caper going down, exactly?" Carmen asked.

"No clue, but most likely tonight. But be careful. You KNOW Marauder's gonna be there."

"Good" Carmen said with determination.

"You're really going to go through with this?" Player asked. "What if V.I.L.E. can get to you at A.C.M.E.?"

"I still stand a better chance with them than being vulnerable here. If I'm in their custody they'll make sure Roundabout can't pull his political chicaneries to spirit me away. I'm giving it everything I got tonight, Player! And one way or another Marauder is going down. Then V.I.L.E. And then get Zack, Ivy, and Shadowsan back."

"And be locked up with all of them" Player reminded her. "What if Coach Brunt's your cellmate?"

"A risk I'm willing to take. I might be losing my life or my freedom tonight, Player...but it'll worth it to watch Marauder be brought to justice...whoever she is."

"You're not convinced it's Vivian Hanna?" Player asked.

Carmen sighed. She couldn't have been more confused. All of her wanted to believe it wasn't Julia, and while all the circumstantial evidence pointed to Vivian, there were two big ripples in her theory. Vincent Hanna seemed genuinely sincere in his passionate statements the night before and it seemed a bit weird that she would just leave to start a life of crime with the only real reason being Hanna's unpredictable nature.

The second thing was simply how personal Marauder was making her vendetta. Julia was the only person who could have known Carmen and Chase Devineaux so well and who could have been wronged by the two of them.

But regardless of who it was, Carmen was desperate to know the truth. "It doesn't matter Player. One way or another, she will be brought down. And thanks for still sticking with me despite all this. It's kind of nice. Carmen and Player, the thief and her white hat."

"Yeah, well, there's..." Player trailed.

"Whaaaaaaat?" Carmen sighed.

"This is the worst possible timing, I know" Player sighed. "My parents, they-they think I spend too much time in my room."

"I mean...they're not wrong."

"Red, they're forcing me to go sleepaway camp!"

"Sleepaway camp?"

"Yeah, Camp Itchnscratch" Player held up a pamphlet. "It's out in Idaho. But it's two whole months no technology—none!"

"Sounds a lot like V.I.L.E." Carmen quipped. "Well, maybe it's for the best that we're calling it quits. When do you leave?"

"Tomorrow, so tonight's gonna be it, unfortunately. I'm sorry, Red."

"Don't be. Hey, you'll have some cool stories to tell your bunk-mates."

"I guess" Player sighed.

"Hey, we still have today. And think of it this way, it's like were both going to camp. You get to make lanyards and weave baskets and sleep in bunk beds, and I'll break rocks, make license plates and also sleep in a bunk bed."

"Or Marauder finishes you off!" Player warned.

"Not likely! I'm never gonna let that happen, Player. Count on it" Carmen insisted.

We cut to Carmen dressing in her casual ware. She grabbed her pistol and holster, as well as some cash from downstairs. She looked at her Matryoshka dolls and held up the largest one before shedding one single tear. Carmen grabbed one last thing from her desk drawer, the A.C.M.E. pen she stole off of Jules in Stockholm. She had one good use for it.

We cut to the garage. So many car she could take, but Carmen's eyes were drawn to the red 1968 Mustang that was the car from Rogue Vendetta 5 (My guess a parody of Fast & Furious) which Carmen won at the San Francisco charity auction for Zack.

Now outside, Carmen locked all the entrances to Carmen Brand Outerwear and gave the place one last look. She wiped one more tear from her eyes before slamming the garage door shut.

BATTLE CREEK MICHIGAN 0813 HOURS

Earlier at V.I.L.E., Were inside Julia's room. She was cuddled up with Tigress peacefully sleeping while the blonde laid staring up at the ceiling, a restless night's sleep indeed. She could hear birds chirping outside, it was morning.

Julia slowly adjusted her eyes. She looked up and smirked at her girlfriend. She reached for the nightstand and grabbed a pair of her glasses, putting them on. "Good morning, darling" Julia mused. "How did you sleep?"

"Oh, fine" Tigress lied.

"Today is the day. You can feel the aura of reckoning in the air. Tonight, Carmen Sandiego will be no more."

"Um, yeah. Woo" Tigress tried to feign enthusiasm. Julia rose from the bed.

"I'm sensing you have second thoughts?"

"No, I mean, I hate Sandiego, but uh—m-maybe, you know, there could be a different way?"

"A different way of defeating the one person who could take us all down? Surely you jest" Julia snapped, foot tapping on the floor.

Tigress moved to the other side of the bed. "I mean, why go through all the hassle? We got a body to dispose of, blood to clean up, it'll be a whole thing. You know, the faculty was crazy about getting her back to HQ so Dr. Bellum can melt her brain and make her steal for us. You're a pragmatist, don't you think it would be in our best interest to at least try and get to her?"

Julia thought for a moment. "I suppose, but the game has changed. She is armed now, she came within millimeters of wounding me at best, it is not worth the time to potentially sacrifice other operatives trying to kidnap her" Julia countered.

"But who says Marauder has to kidnap her? I bet she would trust Julia with anything at this point" Tigress said in an enticing voice.

Little did the kitty know, she stumbled onto something. Julia scratched her chin. "I was going to use that tactic to try and swindle our stolen money away from her. Perhaps it would be possible to lure her into a trap whereby she comes with us alive?"

"See, doesn't that sound better? No murder, we get our money back, no murder, Carmen becomes our thief-puppet, oh; did I mention no murder?"

"Three times" Julia nodded. "Why the sudden interest in keeping our greatest enemy breathing?"

"I just think this would be easier than killing her. That whole thing with Dash in Paris was a kneejerk reaction from Countess Cleo. Trust me, they want Carmen brought to us so we can reprogram her. The way she was intended to be."

Julia sauntered over to the bed, she stroked Tigress's face. "Am I rubbing off on you?"

Tigress blushed. "Well, maybe a little."

Julia smirked. "Come, that shower gets awfully lonely with just one."

The two smiled, and started to undress their jammers.

We cut to a door opening. This was the door to a concrete cell away from the rest of the dungeon, where a chained Shadowsan was kept. His grizzled eyes narrowed upon seeing Coach Brunt tower above him, smirking.

"Got nothing to say, huh?" she asked. Shadowsan looked away. "Oh come now, Shadowsan; you were always quick with the insults, what changed?"

"Drop dead" he deadpanned.

"I dunno, I was thinking more like "drop dead and you'll cause an earthquake" or something" she dropped him to the floor. "You know, you're an ungrateful cur. You and that red turncoat. We took you in—gave you a seat at our table, a seat you earned on a bed of lies!"

"What are you talking about?" Shadowsan asked.

"Marauder let one slip. Turns out it wasn't you who whacked the Wolf in Buenos Aires, it was the Chief of A.C.M.E. What were you really gonna do when you were over there, huh?" Brunt demanded.

"I was going to follow your orders. The authorities surrounded the compound. I had to hide. I saw she had shot Wolf, so I scrubbed the villa as per protocol, but you know I couldn't leave Carmen behind!"

"Yeah and at the time I agreed, remember? Bout the only thing you and I ever agreed on. But it turns out she decided to turn traitor on her family. Her only family! Had I known the little demon she'd turn into I'd-a let her burn with the rest of the evidence. And for that matter, you with it."

"Hindsight is twenty/twenty" Shadowsan quipped.

"And talk is cheap."

"Might you crush me to death now to spare me any more agony?" Shadowsan asked.

"I wish, but it's your lucky day. Marauder had another one of her genius ideas, we use you as bait in Los Angeles tonight to lure her out."

"You want to talk turncoats, Brunt? There is exhibit A."

"But she's the kind of turncoat I can get behind. In fact, we got something special planned for her when she comes through."

"A lifetime supply of Zoloft?" Shadowsan dryly joked.

"There's that famous Shadowsan wit. But no, were gonna have to add the leaf for our table. An extra guest is coming for dinner."

Shadowsan understood that cryptic borderline mobster lingo. "You expect me to be jealous?"

"No. Really I just wanted to stop by and say hello and give you a little something from your former friends" Brunt smirked before giving Shadowsan a punch right to the gut. He fell against the wall, clutching his chest. Brunt blew on her fist. "I've been waiting to do that since Poitiers. I'll have Doc Bellum come by and put some...ice on it" Brunt chuckled before slamming the cell door behind her, leaving Shadowsan in excruciating pain.

DESCHUTES COUNTY OREGON 0556 HOURS

Even earlier, we see Chase traveling at breakneck speeds down the freeway through central Oregon, making great time thus far. His high had completely worn off but he was still ready to soldier on. On his radio, In The Air Tonight by Phil Collins is playing.

Chase listened to the buildup as he picked up speed, waiting for that drum solo that everyone knows is the best part of the song. Chase was singing along and in a marginally better voice than earlier.

"Well I remember, I remember, don't worry, how could I ever forget? It's the first time, the last time we ever met—"

Chase passed a freeway sign, he saw an exit for GRAVITY FALLS in about three miles. Chase paused his singing. Gravity falls. Hanna. Chase really knew how to make a first impression. Not to mention getting his butt handed to him by a drunk seventy-three year old man.

But then again, he knew this was due to his arrogance, immediately assuming Vivian was Marauder in order to save himself from his own repressed shame and regret. He sighed, it was early and he had time. He took the exit just as we get the drum solo.

Cut to outside 753 Snafu Drive as the song cuts. Chase trudged out of his car and hung his head as he approached Hanna's door. He gave it one more sigh and gave three of the weakest knocks you ever didn't hear.

There was no sound. Chase knew that was because it was obvious Hanna didn't hear him because he probably was hard of hearing. He gave two more slow intermittent knocks. Again, nothing. He was about to leave when he heard rustling.

"What, what do you want?" he heard the muffled screaming of Hanna from inside. A light was turned on and Chase heard the door open. There, still drunk, wearing a robe and pj's was Hanna. "Oh, well sacre my bleu. Marquis de Lafayette. Come to beat an old man when he's down—oh wait, I beat you up."

"I came here to apologize for earlier" Chase blurted.

"Not that I don't admire your gumption but there's this marvelous invention called Facebook that you could have used to give me an apology from the comfort and misery of your bachelor pad."

"I was on the way to Los Angeles. That is where Marauder and V.I.L.E. will strike next. More importantly, I know for certain your wife is not involved, and that I believe Agent Falco was right, she was probably kidnapped."

"Well, be still my beating heart. What gave it away, dumb-ass? Was it the obvious alibi, or the break-up letter written out of the blue with generic flimsy excuses for going rogue?" Hanna asked with some warranted sarcasm.

"You were right" Chase sighed. "It was my former partner AND friend: Julia Argent" Chase held up his phone, showing the picture with him, Julia and Anthony. "Julia is the one over there?"

"Where? You mean the only woman in the photo who looks just like my wife and isn't you and Tony Falco?" Hanna sarcastically quipped.

Chase put his phone away. "I believe now, and so help me I am going to bring her to justice and get Vivian back."

"Well thank you there, Nicolas Sarkozy, now if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to drowning my sorrows and trying to cry myself to sleep."

He paused. Being angry was exactly why anybody would assume Vivian would have left him. He had every right to be mad at Chase, but here he was, in person and hat in hand, genuinely remorseful. Hanna wiped his face. "You driving?"

"Yes."

"Long drive to the city of homeless angels. You want to come in?"

"Thank you" Chase half smiled and walked in. Hanna gave him a whiff before shutting the door.

"Why do you smell like weed and Big Macs?" he asked.

"Long evening" Chase sighed, walking into the living room and sitting in the same chair Carmen sat in some hours ago.

"Want a coffee?" Hanna called from the kitchen.

"Yes, thank you."

"Got this new brew. These two local yokels get these beans straight from Cambodia. Best damn cup a joe I've ever had."

Chase looked around the living room fit for a couple of old people. He looked over at a lamp table, there was a picture of Hanna and Vivian hiking on some exotically located mountain. He looked up, Hanna entered with two coffee cups, setting Chase's on the table. "Thank you."

He took the seat next to the TV, multiple empty cans of beer sat around him. Hanna dumped the contents of a small flask into his coffee to Irish it up.

"Argent, huh? That's a ye olde English word. Means silver" Hanna explained.

"Silver? She's more like poison" Chase hissed.

"She's quite the popular poison, apparently."

"What do you mean?" Chase asked.

"Carmen Sandiego stopped by, looking for answers."

"Carmen Sandiego?" Chase parroted.

"She came by snooping around for clues to indicate if Vivian left anything incriminating here. Sat in that very chair you're sitting in. We had a heart-to-heart I channeled my inner Jennifer Melfi, but she still didn't believe me."

"I'm sorry to hear that. But it will make no difference. I'll make sure she is brought to justice along with Carmen Sandiego, and get your wife back" Chase assured him.

"With all due respect, I'm a registered senior who drunkenly kicked you like an old soda can."

"I was injured but I can handle myself" Chase snarled, taking a sip of his coffee.

"I should hope so. If a professional thief and an counter surveillance agency can't take this woman down, were all screwed."

"I can focus. I am not going to get in my own way. Not now, or ever again" Chase assured him.

"Listen, I'm gonna tell ya the same thing I told your red buddy—"

"She and I are not "buddies" or whatever" Chase shrugged.

"Well, given the circumstances that may want to be something you reconsider" Hanna continued. "You two are in her crosshairs and I'll bet she won't stop until you both are taking a nice long dirt nap. You both know her, you know how she ticks, might behoove you both to set aside your differences and team up."

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend?" Chase raised an eyebrow.

"See, you're learning already. But like I was saying, that ego of yours? Let it go. In our line of work, huge ego seems inevitable, right? You make the big bust and all the papers are singing your name but you let that get to your head. Suddenly you think you're the second coming of Serpico and no one is fit to shine your shoes. You make mistakes, your colleagues start to resent you but you gotta feed that ego beast to prove what kind of man you are. And in the end you suffer because of it. So, what kind of man do you want to be, Chase Devineaux?"

"A good man" Chase muttered.

"They're hard to find these days. But you're not going to get there unless you humble yourself. People make mistakes, no one's perfect, and that's okay. There's not much that stands between us and death in our line of work, but if there's one thing you can control, it's you, it's your demons. When you worry too much about your own success or your failures, you lose sight on the task at hand."

Chase nodded. "It seemed so easy for me. Growing up I was that kid nobody wanted to befriend. I was a loser. But I grew up, got what the kids call a. "glow-up", and here I am, I guess trying to compensate for my failures as a child and here we are. I couldn't believe I could have turned Julia into a criminal. I was very mean to her, she reminded me of all those happy-go-lucky children on the school ground—their mothers cut the crust off their sandwiches, they study, they focus, and I hated that, because people were their friends too, and I had nothing. And now here I am. I smell of marijuana and McDonalds, and I'm sitting here while she is out there robbing the world blind."

"Well then my new French friend, you know whatcha gotta do, dontcha?"

Chase nodded, he half-smirked. "How well do you Los Angeles, Detective Hanna?"

"Considering I lived there for more than twenty years, pretty dang good. What do you need to know?"

"V.I.L.E.'s next target is The Broad. I know that is where Julia will strike."

"Grand Ave, Downtown. Nearest cross streets are gonna be 2nd and 3rd—you should be writing this down"

"Oh, right" Chase reached into his jacket and pulled out a small steno pad and his A.C.M.E. pen...which you know, it was still a pen.

"Escape routes are too easy. You are spitting distance from three major freeways, The 101, The 110, and The 10, the former two are closer but they interchange right near there and traffic is brutal. They might try the subway st—sorry metro station. Pershing Square is gonna be right down at Olive and 5th, the red and purple lines intersect and you could be anywhere in the city in short order so make sure you cover their escape routes to that station."

"Got it" Chase nodded, writing all that down.

"The courthouses and the Civic Center are blocks away and so is my old stomping grounds, LAPD HQ, they can get black and whites on that place in no time, but like I said the escape routes practically make themselves. Any disarray, anything out of the ordinary could work wonders in their favor" Hanna continued.

"I understand" Chase nodded. "Thank you."

"I'll give you my personal number in case you need any support" Hanna said writing his number down on an old business card of his. "Avoid Wilshire Boulevard like the plague. Figueroa too if you can."

Chase finished his coffee and stood up. "You've been very helpful, detective."

"Look, I was drunk yesterday. Still a little drunk now but the point is I was brash, I overreacted. Turns out you're a stand-up guy. It took some guts to come here and pour your heart and soul out to a man who kicked your butt. Least I can do is give ya a little parting gift."

"What kind of parting gift?" Chase asked.

"Step into my office" Hanna walked out of the living room with a reluctant Chase in tow. Hanna took Chase to what looked like a den off of the kitchen. It had a nice oak desk, some plants, a globe atlas thing, a bar that was now half empty...and the piece de resistance, two metal doors outfitted with several locks, most of them a keypad, a fingerprint scanner, and a retina scanner. Hanna unlocked the doors and opened them up revealing a small arsenal of weapons and ammunition. "Incroyable" Chase admired the collection. "What is it with you Americans and guns?"

"It's called freedom, son. Y'all should try it sometime" Hanna said with a sarcastic wink. He picked up an ancient Colt 1911 chambered in 45 ACP from a shelf. He blew some dust off it and slid the action back a few times, it worked perfectly. "Colt 1911, workhorse of the American military and police departments well into the 1990's. Rarely jams, stylish, durable, reliable. This is Americana in one gun."

"I've used 1911's before. They're good but they're obsolete if I'm being honest" Chase shrugged.

"This one's different" Hanna smirked, giving Chase some loaded clips to it. "I know this whole conversation's been about ego and whatnot but have you heard of me, what I've done?" Hanna asked.

"Tidbits."

"Remember Neil McCauley?"

"Of course, you were the one who took him out" Chase smiled.

"This is the gun that did it. This right here."

"And, you want me to have it?"

"Like I said, it took guts for you to come over here, hat in hand and apologize. Besides, I feel like we're not much different, you and me. All you gotta do is let go of the ego and tap your potential, you'll do fine. Adapt, overcome, and grow. And Chase?"

"Yes?"

"I don't care if you gotta kill this son of a gun, do what you gotta do, I just wanna see my wife again" Hanna pleaded, as a tear or two streamed down his face.

Chase took the gun and nodded. The two shook hands. "I'm old and not much, but anything I can do to help you out, I'm a phone call away" he said, Chase nodded again.

We cut to outside, Chase got in his car and sped away back to the freeway, now more determined than ever.

BATTLE CREEK MICHIGAN 0947 HOURS

Inside the dungeon, two V.I.L.E. operatives lead Shadowsan through the halls as he will be used as bait for Carmen. Sauntering behind him and whistling was Julia, she stopped in front of the occupied cells, turning to Zack and Ivy. "I hope you three consider our offer."

"Eat a brick" Ivy deadpanned.

"Do not test her, Ivy!" Shadowsan boomed. "Avoid doing something stupid! I will handle this!" he called before the operatives pushed him along.

"He is right you know. It would be wise not to test me" Julia insisted, standing right outside Ivy's cell.

"You're not so high and mighty without your mask and your weapons" Ivy scorned her, arms crossed.

"Oh really?" Julia asked.

"Yeah. I used to get in scraps with all the kids back in Southie. Boys and girls. You caught me off guard once, but this is different" Ivy narrowed her eyes.

"Is it?"

"Yeah, it is. So why don't you put your knowledge of art history to good use" Ivy sarcastically remarked.

Julia snickered and tuned her head. "Open cell two!" she called.

"What now?" Ivy asked.

Her cell door opened up and Julia walked inside. "Close it!" she hollered. The door closed and locked behind her. Julia was now mere feet from the trembling Ivy. "Now then, what was that you were saying? Oh yes, you used to get in "scraps" all the time?"

"Well, you know, not all the time" Ivy gulped. "I'm Irish, we're always getting into shenanigans" she nervously chuckled. Julia smirked, making a fist, she raised it and Ivy trembled, looking away. "No, please! I bruise easy!"

"Yeah, beat me instead!" Zack called. "I'm durable!"

"But your sister made the remark. She should own up to it!"

"That's enough, Argent!" Chief called.

"I don't answer to you anymore, Tamara" Julia said not even turning around.

"You want to beat someone, how about me?"

"Oh, look at you trying to redeem yourself. Won't do her any good, though!"

Julia lunged, grabbed Ivy by the neck. Ivy struggled to free herself and gagged as Julia forced the redhead to lock eyes with her.

"Now then, do I have your full and undivided attention?" Julia asked calmly. She forced a nod out of Ivy. "Good girl. Next time, there is no next time. So it is in your absolute best interest if you choose your words carefully and with the utmost discretion. Am I clear, Ivy?" again, a small nod.

"...Crystal..." Ivy wheezed.

"Excellent" Julia finally dropped Ivy, who fell to her knees and forced some much needed breaths out of her.

"Open two!" Julia called, again, the guard complied from down the hall. She exited. "Close it!" the door then closed. Julia raised her fists towards Zack's cell, and the redheaded boy cowered in fear. Julia smirked. "Do not put me to the test! Any of you!" she screamed to all four. "The results will not be favorable" she sneered coldly before exiting the dungeon.

LAGUNA BEACH CALIFORNIA 1009 HOURS

Some seagulls are flying overhead making their squealing noise. Carmen is standing on the beach just less than an hour or so north of San Diego. The camera lowers itself towards her and we see Carmen holding the pen.

She sighed and clicked it, dropping it to the sandy ground as a wave nearly hits it. The pen stood upright, ready to transmit Carmen's signal.

. . .

Back at A.C.M.E. were inside the Analyst center, the workhorse of A.C.M.E.'s famous Crime Net databases. It's like any ordinary command center type of room, plenty of servers, monitors, where everyone was hard at work. One analyst, a rebel not wearing the A.C.M.E. three piece suit and sporting something more revealing and more goth was Lana Feldstein, sporting some dark hair with blue highlights. She was hard at work monitoring LA when the pen's signal was beamed to her computer, given that Chief was clearly absent.

Feeling this was peculiar she turned to Arturo who was nearby. "Artie. Hey, Artie!"

"What, what is it?" he asked walking over. "What's up, Lana?"

"Signal from a pen, but it's...it's Agent Argent's old pen."

"Her old pen?" Arturo asked.

"Yeah, the one she lost in Stockholm. What the heck is she doing?"

"Easy, I don't think it's her" Arturo calmly explained. "Send the signal through."

"Alright" Lana shrugged. She typed away and turned her webcam, a holographic webcam; towards the two of them.

. . .

After a moment on the beach, Carmen was presented with a hologram, but obviously of Arturo and Lana. "No Chief?"

"Carmen Sandiego" Arturo blurted. "Trying to hack us again?"

"I'm turning myself in" Carmen said matter-of-factly.

Both were taken aback. "You're turning yourself in?" Arturo retorted.

"Yup. No struggle, no nothing."

"That's a bold strategy, Carmen. But, my sixteen years in intelligence is telling me there's a catch, right?" Arturo asked.

"Tonight. I'll be in Los Angeles, where I will hand to you, Marauder, and then, I promise to give myself up peacefully and plead guilty to my crimes provided anyone I've worked with receives complete and total immunity."

"While that is an attractive offer, we would need Chief's approval, and she's not here. We don't know where in the world she is."

"Well that's my offer, take it or leave it. You'll know where to find me" Carmen said before abruptly ending the transmission. Carmen looked at the pen for a moment before Chucking it towards the ocean. She shed one tear before throwing her hands in her coat pocket and walking back to her car. She took a deep breath and started on the famous Pacific Coast Highway through Orange County. While she drove she turned on the radio.

"You're listening to KCAL 96.7 FM! SoCal's home to all the greatest hits in rock and roll!" she heard the radio announcer doing a spot. This next hit comes to us from Alabama 3! You might remember these guys fondly as having the theme song to The Sopranos! So take a stroll down memory lane, SoCal! Here's Alabama 3 with: Woke Up This Morning! You're listening to 96.7 KCAL, keep it locked!"

Carmen sighed, this figures. But she turned up the radio and looked upon the freeway with determination as she sang along the blues-y rock song.

"You woke up this morning. Got yourself a gun. Mamma always said you'd be the-chosen one. She said you're-one in a million-you gotta burn to shine-but you were born under a bad sign babe, a blue moon in your eyes. . .when you woke up this morning. And all that love had gone."

We get a panoramic view of the PCH as Carmen drives down it.

"Your papa never told you about right and wrong. But you're looking good baby-I believe that you're feeling fine-shame about it, born under a bad sign with a blue moon in your eyes."

She passes the five freeway, driving past Los Angeles Angel's stadium, and Disneyland resort.

"You woke up this morning, the world turned upside down, well thing's ain't been the same since the blues walked in our town. But you're, you're one in a million cause you got that shotgun shine, shame about it, born under a bad sign with a blue moon in your eyes, yeah."

Carmen continued to drive into Los Angeles county, passing through South-Central and Inglewood, passing Sofi Stadium and The Forum. She song continues as Carmen passes into Hollywood, passing the famous Hollywood Sign, and TCL Chinese theater as she drives through into Downtown.

"Woke up this morning! Woke up this morning! Yeah you woke up this morning, you wanna, you wanna be the chosen one. Yeah you know it! Just can't help yourself, yeah. Woke up this morning! Woke up this morning. Woke up this morning. Woke up this morning. You woke up this morning. Got yourself a gun. Got yourself a gun. Got yourself a gun!" the song concluded as Carmen passed under the 110 into Downtown.

(This was symbolic, she would have listened to more than one song in that timeframe)

NIAGRA FALLS ONTARIO 1421 HOURS

A despondent Player sat at his desk. He had a suitcase and a gym bag packed. He threw his little stress ball around, pondering. He had quite a virtual time with Carmen. All the adventures, the cool capers, and all that such.

But something was really sticking in his craw. Player was already depressed his and Carmen's relationship reached its end, and that she would most likely end up dead or in prison after that evening; but there was something else really bugging him.

He couldn't help shake the feeling they were being played. Player had his monitor open to Vivian's hacked A.C.M.E. file. He was reading it, zero mention of Carmen or anything like that.

"Why would this rando nobody have a grudge against Carmen?" he asked out loud. He scratched his chin. He scrolled through Vivian's personal information for the millionth time. This time, something popped out at him. "Wait a second" he got back to typing, focusing on another monitor. It was footage of the Smithsonian fight. The camera got corrupted as Marauder threw her blade at it, but something definitely jumped at Player. "Booya" Player smirked.

LOS ANGELES CALIFORNIA 1158 HOURS

We cut to a hotel door opening, and there stood Julia, in disguise. She was joined by Tigress, El Topo, and Le Chevre. They were admiring their posh suite in the Ritz-Carlton of Downtown.

"Now this is why I do this" El Topo announced flopping on one of the fancy beds with the super comfy mattress. "Ah, esta es la vida."

"You have the plan to get the police away from the museum, correct Marauder?" Le Chevre asked.

"Of course I do. But first..." Julia walked into the master suite, throwing two garment bags on the bed. She opened the first revealing the Marauder outfit. "...I need to have a chat with an old and dear friend" she said with sinister sarcasm. She opened up the second bag, revealing her A.C.M.E. uniform.

Tigress laid on the bed watching Julia change. "So, you really think you can get Carmen's money from her?"

"Our money" Julia reminded her. "And yes. She must have it in a physical location. It would be far too easy for the government to find it electronically. She must have the locations of it, or at least most of it" Julia finished getting dressed. "And it's up to innocent and trustworthy Julia Argent to safeguard it from evildoers" she said in a condescending voice to make herself sound more unassuming. "But first, I must check in with A.C.M.E. I'll have all their checkpoints and positions uploaded to your communicators" Julia smirked before giving Tigress a quick kiss before exiting. Tigress reached into her pocket and pulled out Chief's apartment key, staring at it.

MARIN COUNTY CALIFORNIA SAME TIME

Chase was rushing down the coast, now on the 101 Freeway, Rough Landing, Holly by Yellowcard was playing. He could see out in the foggy distance, the Golden Gate Bridge. San Francisco. The very place Tigress ruined his lucky coat. Chase channeled his anger at V.I.L.E. and at Julia, he was still very focused. He turned to the pistol which sat next to him and continued on.

LOS ANGELES CALIFORNIA 1225 HOURS

A.C.M.E. was given a briefing room in LAPD HQ across the street from City Hall in Downtown. Anthony Falco was about to lead the squad as he was put in charge of the operation thanks to Chase. He sighed, depressed and in over his head.

"Alright everyone, settle in. Okay, some of you may know-or you will now, that Special Agent Chase Devineaux is no longer part of this operation and has since turfed it over to me. Crime Net has—" Anthony stopped as Julia entered. He briefly locked eyes with her before snapping out of it and continuing. "Crime New has determined that V.I.L.E.'s next target is The Broad, there's a..." he paused again, eying up Julia, who looked at him and gave him an innocent smile. "Uh, there's uh..."

"Oh, what Agent Falco is trying to say is there is a rare exhibit of recovered Greek statues, discovered and perfectly preserved from Pompeii's ashes" Julia explained.

"Uh, r-right. Thank you, Agent Argent" Anthony said almost robotically.

"You're quite welcome."

"Anyway, I'm uploading schematics of the museum and every known point of entry to your pens. Study them. V.I.L.E. is never direct so think vents, tunnels, subway. I want agents on the surrounding rooftops and LAPD will back us on the street. Questions?" everyone shook their heads. "Good. Dismissed. Get some rest."

Anthony looked over at the agents leaving, his eyes locked onto the innocent-looking Julia. He sneered and followed her out. Outside Julia crossed Spring Street still along 1st. Anthony followed her, we track him walking, stalking, determined.

He had his hand in his jacket, cocking his stun gun. He drew closer to Julia, but she smirked. "Argent! Hey, Julia! Can you hang up a sec!?" he called, starting to pick up into a light jog.

"I'm much too busy, Agent Falco. I have some business to attend to."

"Yeah I'll bet you do!" Anthony sneered grabbing Julia by the sleeve and pulling her into an alleyway. He brought them both behind a dumpster and held Julia against the nearest building. You can see the fake concern in her voice.

"What's the meaning of this?" she demanded.

"Oh! You play it down to the last card, don't you!?" Anthony sneered, finger pointing in her face.

"Anthony, I haven't the foggiest idea what you're talking about. You're-y-yo-you're frightening me."

"Knock it off! Marauder" Anthony screamed.

"Again with these wild accusations—"

"Let me be perfectly clear so you can get this into that messed up skull of yours" Anthony began, sneering. "You stay away from my family. I mean far away, don't even think about driving through Everett, not even for some of Sam's Famous Pastrami! See you screwed up. Why would you just show up at my house, randomly? Chief goes missing, Chase has a voicemail from Chief that vanishes AFTER you show up, you think I'm an idiot? Huh? Some-some Texas bumpkin? No. I know the truth. I know you'll never admit it but I know. So allow me to retort: go near my family again, and I will end you. I will end you slowly."

Julia paused, still having her fake concern, but she knew this ruse was up, at least with Anthony. "Might you let go of me?" she asked.

Anthony sneered, he turned his head hearing some commotion. Two unformed LAPD officers walked past the alley and Anthony let Julia go just in the nick of time. Anthony laughed to try and play it off, they walked away.

"That's more like it" Julia dusted herself off. She looked like she was going to walk away but then turned to face Anthony, Marauder-esque smirk on her face. "And here I thought you were a complete and utter moron. Just like your good friend Chase Devineaux. He quit A.C.M.E. you know? Imagine that, me; his emotional punching bag caused him to quit. I have a hunch he'll be back, a good hunch, and he will meet his demise. Him and Carmen Sandiego will be no more. And unlike Sandiego and Devineaux, I don't have to eliminate you, Agent Falco. No, no you aren't pathetic like they are. I can get to you a different way. Quite the lovely family you have. Four beautiful children, adorable wife, house in suburbia. Your life is the American Dream I've heard so much about. But all dreams must have their end. You see, if I know where you live you should know that V.I.L.E. does too. And if something were to befell me, such as you disclosing my secret to the rest of A.C.M.E. or perhaps ending my life; know that your heroic actions will have consequences. Your family will cease to exist should anything happen to me, therefore you should tread lightly, Anthony."

Anthony was too stunned. His hand was in his coat pocket, trembling. Tears were streaming down his face. He wanted so badly to stun and arrest Julia, but he knew now that he couldn't, not with his family at risk. He took his hand out, empty.

"You're sick" he sneered.

"Sticks and stones, Agent Falco. Oh, and it is in your best interest to heed my advice. The last individual who did not is in a very, very, VERY unfortunate situation" she said cryptically referring to Paper Star. "See, Carmen and Devineaux have no one—no one that I haven't already taken away from them...but you have a family, and that's all the leverage I'll ever need to keep you at bay. In fact, I'm thinking I might forget we had this brash and insensitive conversation if you were to move all A.C.M.E. agents away from the museum."

"So V.I.L.E. can rob them blind?"

"You must ask yourself, Anthony, what's more valuable: some ancient statues of dead scholars...or little Carrie missing her recital. It's Sunday you know" Julia taunted him.

"They're...they're children" Anthony said between tears.

"Then I should hope you've made your decision, no?"

Anthony was about to speak, but he couldn't get any words out. "I'll take that as a yes. Now then, might I trust A.C.M.E. will give us a wide berth for our getaway?"

Anthony stopped, his lips trembled, but he nodded. "Yes."

"Most excellent. Oh, and I would very much appreciate it if I knew A.C.M.E.'s defensive schemes for all future operations beforehand."

"But...but-but, I would, I would be complicit in your crimes, then?"

"Take solace in knowing you have no choice. Take this information to the authorities or try and stop me, and risk your family's lives. What's more valuable to you, Agent Falco? Things? Or lives. Museums and estates are insured, but there is no second chance at life, remember that next time you try and corner me in an alleyway" she finished before turning and leaving a sobbing Anthony to stew in his new and unfortunate predicament.

Julia turned a corner in the alley, she bent over and nearly threw up. Her serious face turned to dread and shame and she nearly broke down, crying. She couldn't believe what she just done. Out of all her crimes this was the most evil.

She wiped some tears from her eyes and composed herself. She shook her head and put on a crooked smirk before walking down the sidewalk...and stepping over three bums along the way. Julia headed up 1st Street towards her target: The Broad.

We cut to Carmen, who was on the roof of an incomplete building under construction across the street from the museum, which was also located right next to Walt Disney Concert Hall. She looked through her binoculars: no activity.

Carmen sighed, putting her specs away. She checked her phone which she put on vibrate, Player had been sending her a million SOS calls. She got herself back down to the street. She put up her hood to avoid being seen by the obvious increased police presence and walked down Grand Avenue. She connected to Player.

"What's up, Player?" she asked. "Sorry, I kept my phone on vibrate."

"I was going over some old footage of one of your Marauder fights" he reported.

"Whatcha find?" Carmen asked.

"Okay, so the way Marauder seems to use her weaponry, it looks like she favors her right hand. Meaning she's most likely right-handed."

"There are billions of right-handed people in the world, Player."

"Yeah but I have Vivian Hanna's A.C.M.E. file here on my other monitor...Red, it says she's Left-handed!"

Carmen stopped for a moment but continued on slowly. What could this mean? If what Player said was true, it may have made the possibility of Vivian being their culprit that much more unlikely...and making the prospect of Julia being Marauder much-MUCH more likely.

But a lovestruck Carmen played it off. "She could be ambidextrous. A spy of her caliber would have to assume an inordinate amount of fake identities. She knows were smart, Player. She's throwing us off her trail, I know it" Carmen insisted.

We cut down the street. Julia was walking up when she eyed up a lady in red up the hill. What luck. Their paths would most certainly cross. But Julia had to be sneaky. She knew she burned bridges with Carmen before, she only hoped the Latina would be forgiving now. She turned to her left, there was an al fresco café. Julia walked up the small steps and took an empty table near a ledge, in perfect of view of Carmen when she walked by. Julia looked away, pretending not to notice.

Carmen was about to pass the café some steps later. She was listening to Player's rant as to why he believed Vivian wasn't Marauder, making Carmen literally the last person on Earth still in denial...or perhaps she genuinely believed Julia wasn't her new foe?

BUT, as she continued to listen to Player, she passed the café, and her eyes turned to see Julia, clearly not noticing her. Carmen smiled, the blush was deep red on her face. Perfect! If anything she would have this uninterrupted opportunity to tell Julia how she felt.

Considering she figured she had little time of life or freedom left, this had to be done. Carmen sighed and tried to contain a giddy smile. She walked up the stairs. Julia smirked, she hooked her fish, and was about to reel her in. Her smirk faded and she just stared. Carmen walked up behind her, innocently looming over the double agent. There was music playing, Burnin' For You by Blue Öyster Cult.

"U-Um, h-h-hey stranger" Carmen blurted like your schoolyard crush trying to force a conversation. Julia put on a disinterested look and turned her head. She said nothing. Carmen paused, still blushing. "Um, is uh, is that seat taken?" she asked.

"Tables all yours" Julia huffed pretending to still be salty. She got up but Carmen stopped her.

"Jules wait!" she begged. "I-I really-REALLY need to talk to you."

"Oh?" Julia raised an eyebrow. "And why should I listen to you now?"

"Because this is waaaaaaaay more than an apology. I have something I need to get off my chest. Something I recently realized about myself."

This was taking Julia aback. She was going to 'lower' her defenses and pity Carmen with her apology...but this was different, it was odd. Something she needed to get off her chest? What could that mean? But, Julia wanted to get the money, and turning her back on Carmen was not going to get it. She sighed.

"Please, Jules? Five minutes."

Julia sighed again, rolled her eyes, and motioned for Carmen to sit in the chair opposite her. Carmen sat down and was still blushing, looking away while Julia crossed her arms with faux impatience.

"So, how have you been?" Carmen stalled.

"Clock's ticking Ms. Sandiego" Julia deadpanned.

"You're right-you're right, I'm sorry" Carmen said taking a really deep breath, looking up at Julia. "Here goes nothing" she whispered. "I thought...I thought that when I rejected you at the forest, it was because selfishly I wanted you at A.C.M.E. to help in my cause. It seemed too easy to have someone over there to be a go-between for me and Chief...but, um, that was lie I was telling myself. It was bugging me for nearly two weeks now but I think I finally figured it out. It wasn't because I wanted you to stay where you were and that you couldn't handle this life—you could, you really could, it's that...it-i-it's that I was afraid if you were on my team-permanently...I thought that maybe, I would..." Carmen trailed, pausing.

"Three minutes" an unforgiving Julia barked.

Exasperated and out of time Carmen finally blurted. "I was afraid I'd get too close to you!"

Julia's head jerked back in some shock. She raised an eyebrow. "Get too close to me?"

"Yes, I realized recently that I have feelings...romantic feelings..." Carmen continued blushing and trying to look at Julia. "Romantic feelings...toward you" she finally said.

Boom! Cue blush on Julia's face. WHAT!? Carmen was hot for her? After all of Julia's subtle hints and romantic advances toward Carmen over their capers together, she chooses NOW to have this revelation.

It was true that Julia felt really hurt when Carmen rejected her...but little did Julia know, it was repressed romantic feelings that pushed them away, which was partially the reason Julia wanted to be with Carmen to begin with!

Julia's eyes welled up and her expression turned to rage. This wasn't acting anymore. She stood up quickly, now twas her turn to loom over Carmen. "Are you joking!? Why didn't you say anything before!?"

"I didn't know!" Carmen shouted. "I-I-I-I-I realized this yesterday. I thought everyone in my life had a place and all that mattered was taking down V.I.L.E. at all costs. But, I guess I never really known what I wanted...until I had to have it beaten over the head to me" Carmen continued, eyes welling up herself. A stunned Julia sat back down in her chair. Carmen looked down. "I want you, Jules."

Julia's lip quivered as she blushed. "Y-you do?" she rested her hands on the table.

"Yes. I do. I'm crushing hard for you, Jules. Really hard."

Julia gulped, desperately trying to look away. "Well, I am sorry to inform you, that I am not into women" she lied.

"Yooooooooou sure about that?" Carmen coyly asked. "I couldn't help but notice that's a lot of blush on your face." Carmen chuckled and moved her hands towards the table. She rested a hand on top of Julia's and tried to insert a finger between hers. "You're a terrible liar."

"You don't know me at all, then" A smirking Julia muttered.

Carmen stammered. "I-I can-I can get us a hotel room—we can just talk, or not—or, go to a museum or something? My treat. Whatever you want."

What an attractive offer, and in a different life Julia might have taken it, but alas, it wasn't meant to be. Besides, Julia was loyal to Tigress...right? I mean, she loved her kitten, but here was Carmen practically throwing herself at her.

With almost a pit in her stomach, Julia answered. "I-I have a girlfriend, actually."

"Oh" Carmen said like the wind was taken right out of her sails.

Julia's demeanor then changed. "But-but-but, but nothing lasts forever, you know?"

"No, Jules, I understand. You found someone. I'm happy for you. I had my shot and I blew it. That's on me. I just desperately had to tell you that before..." Carmen trailed.

"Before what?"

"Marauder. You've heard of her, right?"

"Of course. She is A.C.M.E.'s number one priority at the moment, even more important than you, I'd say" Julia said with a smirk.

"I'm flattered" Carmen playfully rolled her eyes. "I know you guys are here to stop V.I.L.E. I think they'll strike soon, probably tonight. I've already told some of your supervisors this but I am going to catch her...or I'm gonna take her out if she doesn't do me in first...then..." Carmen sighed. "I'm turning myself in. Full confession. Everything."

Now Julia was really shocked. "You're...you're quitting too?"

"Too?" Carmen retorted.

Julia maaaaaay have overstepped, she was thinking of Chase. "Oh um, sorry, I'm just a bit frazzled. You are not going to steal anymore?"

"Not after tonight. I have nothing now. Marauder took everything from me" Carmen's eyes welled up. "She wants a fight to the death, she can have it. Cause that witch is going to have to beg me not to kill her after what she did. The people she hurt!"

Julia made a mental gulp but kept her composure. "You're...you are serious about this?"

"Absolutely. She drove me insane, Jules. Between coming to terms with my sexual orientation and Marauder taking everything...I just, I don't know if I can continue. Besides, I'll bet if I can catch her and deliver her to you guys she'll sing like a canary with the proper persuading. Besides, I have some information about V.I.L.E.'s higher ups."

"You'll go to prison, Carmen" Julia reminded her.

Carmen shrugged. "I'm willing to make that sacrifice. As long as V.I.L.E. is defeated and my crew goes free. I just...I really had to tell you how I felt. It wasn't you, Jules. I'm just crazy about you, and I never even realized it. I'm such an idiot" Carmen wiped tears from her eyes. "Flimsy excuses like you couldn't handle it, or-or-or you're better off at A.C.M.E. I would really just be too distracted looking at you. You're really cute."

Julia blushed and desperately tried to look away. But Carmen's demeanor then changed. She still didn't know for sure about Marauder and desperately needed to get some answers, or at least answer a question that's been bugging her for so long now.

"Listen...in the forest when you said: "they were right about you", it wasn't Chief, or Devineaux, was it, Jules?"

Julia gulped. She looked at Carmen with worry in her face. From her point of view, we get a flashback from the Paris sewer when Carmen unloaded her gun at Marauder, barely missing. We cut back to the present.

Julia fancied herself good at the con, she had a lot of practice at this point. But Carmen was no Chase or Anthony, or anyone else. This would take an Oscar-worthy performance to get out of this jam.

Fortunately, Julia had a plan, impromptu though it was. She forced herself to well up and she broke down, weeping. Carmen was taken aback when she saw this, she stood up, trying to console her friend.

"Jules? What's wrong?"

"Oh..." she sniffled. "You were right to be suspicious. It wasn't Chief who said that about you...it was V.I.L.E."

Carmen's eyes widened. She was about to open her mouth to speak but fell back down in her chair.

"Please let me explain!" Julia begged. "It's not what you think!" she sniffled again and tried to "compose" herself. Here comes that performance. "In London, V.I.L.E. kidnapped me, took me to this ghastly place" so far, not a lie.

"Why, though?" Carmen asked.

"They wanted to flip someone close to you, to act as a double agent to eventually take you down. I refused. They made so many attractive offers to me."

"Who?" Carmen asked.

"The so-called "faculty", there were four of them."

"Let me guess: an absurdly large woman with sea-foam hair and a tracksuit, a skinny pale man with a sinister grin and white hair, an Egyptian woman with a green dress that looks like something out of the world's worst fashion show, and an Indian woman with a white mohawk probably glued to like five computer monitors?"

"That's them exactly. The large woman...Brunt—something, she overplayed her hand, and started saying terrible things about you. I didn't believe her but I suppose you could imagine the heartbreak when those heathens were proven true."

"Why did they let you go?" Carmen asked.

"They didn't want to mind control me—tried to make me believe they were my friends. They wanted to gaslight me to join on my own accord. I was knocked out again and dropped off in my apartment. I knew they were watching me though. And after you could imagine I didn't return their phone calls they decided to retaliate. Marauder is a disgruntled former A.C.M.E. agent gone rogue who just so happens to look just like me" there's the lie. "I assume they gave her a similar offer and used her to throw you off their trail and continue to deteriorate your trust in me."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Carmen asked.

"I haven't seen you since we met in Virginia, and that's when she first came on the scene. I didn't think you'd believe me anyway. I feel so awful."

Carmen's eyes narrowed, she swallowed the bait. She put her hands on top of Julia's once more. "Jules...of course I believe you. I knew it. I knew it couldn't be you. You're the nicest most genuine person I know."

"Thank you" Julia smiled...a bit wickedly. Then, she swiveled the conversation a bit. The purpose was to get the money out of Carmen. And now that Julia had essentially eroded Carmen's suspicions, she figured the task almost too easy. "I figure you are aware the charities of which you have been sending V.I.L.E.'s money to have been audited."

"Ugh, don't remind me" Carmen groaned.

"I tried my best to stop them. But you know Agent Devineaux" she said with a sneer. "No regard for anyone's feelings or goals. It's always about him. And Chief gave him all he could have asked for. It is him who did this to you."

"Well I hope he realizes all the people whose lives he's ruined by doing that" Carmen groaned. "This will blow over though. It could be a blessing."

"Oh?" Julia raised an eyebrow. "You've recovered the money?"

"All of it."

"Back in your own account?"

"Are you kidding? It could easily be removed electronically with one warrant."

"So...you have it in a physical location?"

"Crazy, right?" Carmen mused.

Now Julia was really going to reel her fish in. She looked around to see if 'anyone was watching', she then leaned in. "Follow me."

She got up with Carmen in tow. The two walked around a corner towards the restrooms, no one could easily see them. "Just in case any prying eyes are interested in our conversation. You say you'd like to turn yourself in. What is going to happen to all that money just sitting around?" Julia asked.

"I have two guys looking after it."

"Two men? No offense, Carmen, but that must be hundreds of millions of dollars."

"Billions" Carmen reiterated, trying to impress her crush.

"My point exactly. Listen, after I was released from V.I.L.E, I confronted Chief about it, about how I wasn't respected and how I wasn't going to be taken advantage of at work anymore. She actually listened to me. Removed me as Devineaux's partner and gave me a promotion. I now have multiple agents working under me now, and I handpicked them. All are loyal to your cause just like me. We want the same things; preserving history and stopping V.I.L.E."

"So, what are you asking me, exactly?" Carmen asked.

"Perhaps my crew and I can look after the money—better still, perhaps we can "donate" it back to your charities. With government authority it will be easy to cut through any red tape."

"Won't Chief get suspicious?" Carmen asked.

"I was quite persuasive. She's been very cooperative in backing off and letting me run my crew the way I see fit. I have much more resources at my disposal, it will be no trouble at all."

"I don't know, Jules. You've helped me out before but—"

"What's the difference now? This is money we can simply give to your charities. No ones the wiser. Besides, I took what you said to heart and I have little qualms about living a bit on the edge. Much like yourself. You seem to play fast and loose with the law quite well, Carmen. I must know, how were you able to get that money to the charities with such skill and precision"

Skill and precision? Wow, Carmen felt really flattered. She looked around to see if anyone was listening, and there was no one, she leaned in and whispered. "Technically...I-I've been laundering it."

"Really now?" Julia asked.

"These corporations, we give them some money, they write fake receipts to cover it up, they then take the money and make a donation so we can take the dirty money and guarantee it gets into the right hands where no one was the wiser...except, it didn't work."

"I find it quite...sexy to see a powerful woman like you doing something so bold and risky."

More flattery. Carmen couldn't help but nervously chuckle as there was so much red on her face. "Sexy, huh?"

"Absolutely. Carmen, I can promise you your money will be in capable hands. It will get to the right people."

She flashed Carmen an innocent smile. This was the Julia Carmen remembered, not some crazed super villain living a double life...right? While somewhere in the back of her mind was a bit torn, she felt like she could trust Jules. She always could. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the business card with the warehouse address on it.

"The address is on the back of this card. It's in Escondido."

"Most excellent" Julia reached out with her right hand and grabbed the card, but an apprehensive Carmen kept a grip on it. Player's words started to echo inside her head as she looked down.

Marauder's right handed-right handed-right handed

Carmen froze. She tried to shake this feeling but there was this impending doom that was circling around inside her head. Julia looked up, seeing the worry in Carmen's eyes, and she brought out the big guns.

She reached out with her left hand, stroking Carmen's cheek. "I understand if you have second thoughts. It's a lot of money after all."

"I-It is" Carmen huffed in a higher pitch. "I don't know-I, I just want to make sure...make sure that—"

"Carmen, I can assure you, the money will go to the right people. You will not have to worry about anything."

"But...b-but-but..." Carmen stammered.

"We've worked together so much before, why let some petty squabbling ruin all that, especially when there are so many people in need throughout the world" Julia continued cupping Carmen's chin. "You can trust me. You know that."

Carmen smiled. Butterflies filled her stomach as she listened to Julia's kind words and her flattery. Had the situation been different, Carmen wouldn't have even entertained the notion, but she was at the end of her rope and she knew Jules and knew they had the same goals. Plus, there was something so attractive about her...something that Carmen couldn't ignore. She was blinded by love, and it was about to cost her.

Sensing she needed a final push, Julia leaned in, giving Carmen a single soft kiss on her neck. She leaned up to her ear, whispering. "I don't know where I'll be with my girlfriend in the meantime; but I'll wait for you."

"I-I could be going away for a long time, Jules" Carmen reminded her. "Or not, I'm not really sure."

"You let me worry about that. There might be a way I can get you some kind of deal."

"Really?" a hopeful Carmen asked.

"Really" Julia lied.

With a final stroke of her cheek, Carmen's defenses were completely lowered. The Latina released from the card, handing it off to Julia. "I trust you, Jules."

"Good. You've made the right decision."

"Thank you. So, I uh, know my five minutes are long up but, m-m-maybe we could, w-we could—"

"Get lunch? A date perhaps?" Julia asked.

"Not a date" Carmen interjected. "Two friends, having lunch. I wouldn't want to overstep with you and your girlfriend."

"She wouldn't mind. I'll return to our table in a moment, I have to use the loo" Julia explained.

"No problem."

Julia watched Carmen walk back to their table while she walked toward the restroom, looking on the back of the business card for the address Vincent wrote. She locked herself in a stall and sat on the toilet. She first took out her A.C.M.E. pen, which was in RECORD MODE! She then turned it off and put it away, smirking. From a pocket inside her jacket, she took out her V.I.L.E. communicator, and made a call.

On the other end of the screen was Gunnar. "Marauder. Checking in?"

"The caper is going lovely, Professor. We have the fake statues ready to be switched, and I have Carmen Sandiego in my sights, she won't suspect a thing."

"Excellent, excellent. Everything is going according to plan."

"Better than expected, actually" Julia smirked, holding up the card. "How would you like to win the lottery, Professor Maelstrom?"

"I've won it three times, already. Why?" he asked.

"Because on this piece of card stock I have something better than a winning lottery ticket. Something like...the location of every dime Carmen Sandiego stole from us."

Gunnar's eyes lit up. "What?"

Dr. Bellum then came into frame. "What was that, now?"

"That is correct. Here is the address for the exact location of our money. 28791 Terence Winter Way, Escondido California, 92027" Julia read the card.

Roundabout, also eavesdropping came into frame too. "Hmm, Escondido. That's in San Diego county if I'm not mistaken."

"Indeed...perhaps a nearby location would bode convenient for our traitor to have a headquarters?" Julia mused.

Gunnar turned to Roundabout. "Send those two new recruits and a platoon of operatives to the address."

"It shall be done, Gunnar" Roundabout nodded, then turning to the screen. "Jolly good show, Marauder" he then disappeared from the frame.

"Wait, what is the name on that card?" Bellum asked.

"Um, a brokerage firm it appears. V&G Financial Consulting."

"V&G?" Bellum gasped.

Gunnar pondered. "V&G...V&G...V&-Of course! Vincent Gilligan and David Chase!" he fumed.

"David's codename was Gypsy if I'm not mistaken" Bellum added. "That's what the G stands for."

"It's not the point. Two of our own accountants working for that-that fiend!"

"Accountants?" Julia asked.

"They used to work for our bookkeeper, Cookie" Bellum explained. "But apparently they have switched sides."

"It will be their undoing" Julia smirked.

"Yes indeed, we'll see to it" Gunnar nodded making the throat cutting gesture. "Excellent work, star pupil. This will not go unrewarded."

"Anything you can think of Marauder, we will provide! A new wing on your room perhaps?" Bellum suggested.

"And a butler. I've always wanted a butler" Julia beamed.

"Consider it done" Gunnar happily nodded before ending the transmission.

Julia's smile quickly faded. She looked down at the front of the business card, she then stared blankly, looking longingly at the stall door. She briefly reflected on the impact she had on everyone around her and lately all of it negative. She took a deep breath, having other things on her mind. She washed her hands and put on a brave smile, exiting the bathroom and eyed up a smiling Carmen, sitting patiently at their table. Julia flashed an uncomfortable smile but joined her.

CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA CALIFORNIA 1414 HOURS

Chase stopped at a 7-Eleven gas station/convenience store to fill up his car and take a good stretch. He got a fresh smell of ocean air from the coastal town in Monterey county. He tried Anthony's phone for the millionth time. He was getting nowhere and knew he had to get to LA before the heist. He still had half a state to drive through.

Chase was fortified by the prospect of revenge as well as Hanna's words of encouragement. Yet, he was getting that hungry feeling in his stomach. He conveniently turned to the convenient store next to him. He walked inside and grabbed some essentials: 5 Hour Energy shots, beef jerky, and mints. He placed his items on the counter while the stoner clerk rang him up.

"Okay, that'll be $19.54."

Chase was about to get out his debit card. He looked quizzically at the clerk for a moment. "Pardon me, but would this establishment sell marijuana by chance?" Chase asked.

The dumbfounded clerk raised a semi-interested eyebrow. "Dude, it's a 7-Eleven."

Chase then shrugged. "Soooooo, is that a yes, or no?"

The Clerk just shot Chase a deadpan glare.

LOS ANGELES CALIFORNIA SAME TIME

We cut to The Broad. It was fairly silent, and that was because all the guards were tied up elsewhere. Three disguised "janitors" entered the exhibit where the statues were kept. These three were of course: Tigress, Le Chevre, and El Topo.

Tigress had a trying two days, given that she was interested in the idea of leaving V.I.L.E. should she convince Julia to go with her, but that was when their lives were on the line. Now, she was just Tigress the super thief, happily in her element once again. Chief didn't have to know about this, right? Besides, it provides a good cover.

"Perfect" she rubbed her hands together.

"This'll take some time" El Topo began.

"But it will be worth it to watch Carmen Sandiego writhe in agony when she figures out we've already stolen the statues" Le Chevre continued.

"And the look on her face before Marauder finishes her off will be priceless" El Topo mused.

Tigress sighed, hoping it wouldn't come to that. "Just help me move these to the freight elevator, huh? We gotta get the fakes in before the outer guards notice their friends are missing."

The two nodded and they got right to work.

But while they went to work, not far down the street, Carmen and Julia were enjoying a nice and peaceful lunch, waxing nostalgic of their lives and such. Julia was eating this up, brimming from the fact she swindled Carmen's money right out from under her. A part of her was really happy on her "date" but at the same time she was getting increasingly uneasy, the pangs of guilt becoming overwhelming. But she soldiered on, after all, this was the life she chose...

"So, you're girlfriend, what's she like?" Carmen innocently asked.

"She is wonderful. So well read and kind, if only deep down she would see it" Julia said with some blush. "I'd say I go for the bad girl type."

Carmen blushed. "Like me?"

"Something like that, I suppose."

A blushing Carmen changed the subject. "So V.I.L.E. just kidnapped you? Out of the blue?" Carmen asked.

"Yes, but they did their research, noted how close we were. But I refused, I still do" Julia lied.

"Good. And listen, I know about Fort Knox. I know they kidnapped you then, too."

"It won't happen again, I assure you" Julia smiled. She then changed the subject, as Fort Knox was not her finest hour, and it would certainly sound suspicious, Carmen was no moron. "You know it's funny, really."

"What is?"

"Living your life like you think it shall last forever" Julia began. "For too long I merely bided my time hoping for an opportunity to come to me. I couldn't wait any longer. I don't wish to be the same boring person I was. So I did something about it. Not some blind altruist like Devineaux portrays me as" Julia sneered.

"That's good. You got this promotion, Devineaux's off your back, life's looking pretty good for you, Jules."

"And it shall only get better" she smiled. She decided to fish for more information, now a bit suspicious of Where Carmen chose to hang her fedora. "San Diego" she pondered. "A family name? I've never asked."

"I don't have a name, really. I don't know how much the faculty told you about me, but they raised me. I'm an orphan, see at V.I.L.E. they have codenames to call us, it's much easier in case you get arrested you have no information to rat on other operatives. Not that I don't know a few personal things about V.I.L.E.'s interworking's. I'm hoping that'll help with a plea deal. But anyway, they called me Black Sheep, you know a—"

"Rebel?" Julia said interrupting Carmen.

"Right, exactly. I was always a rebel. I saw firsthand what V.I.L.E. really was, what they were capable of...that murder is on the table so they can get their greedy hands on a piece of history, and I wasn't going to stand for it. And here we are. I have nothing, and no one. I don't know what they offered this Vivian Hanna person to play this villain to frame you and torture me but, it will be her downfall...if she even is Marauder."

"If it isn't her, it could still be anyone. But V.I.L.E. wouldn't pick someone so close to you, Carmen. If they know so much about you, they could fill any stooge with such information, and you'd be surprised at the wonders of plastic surgery these days. Who knows, it may not be Vivian Hanna at all. It's an unfortunate situation, for both of us."

"Tell me about it" Carmen sighed. "But anyway sorry to tangent. My real name isn't Carmen Sandiego, and I have no clue what it actually is."

"So why choose such an oddly specific name?" Julia asked.

"Mmm, trade secret" Carmen winked.

"Oh come now, you know you can trust me" Julia said fluttering her eyes.

"When I get out of jail, maybe I'll tell you everything" Carmen mused.

"Ms. Sandiego, are you playing hard-to-get?" Julia asked.

"I-I don't know, I'm so not used to the whole romance thing."

"You're doing quite well" Julia swooned.

"Thanks" Carmen blushed. "Anyway, I think it's my turn to use the restroom. I'll be right back" she said, getting up.

"I'll be here" Julia smiled watching Carmen...or rather, watching Carmen's rear end as she walked towards the bathroom. Julia then sighed and looked down, eyes welling up. "What have you become, Julia" she hissed to herself, but desperately regaining her composure.

We cut to an alleyway next to the Broad. Tigress had sneaked out, the caper seemed to be going great. She tore off her janitors duds and tossed them into a nearby dumpster, revealing she was in civilian clothes under that. El Topo and Le Chevre soon joined her.

"Now that we've switched the statues" El Topo began.

"We'll just have to wait for the disarray in Marauder's next Carmen Sandiego fight" Le Chevre continued.

"Then move the real ones. I'm gonna crush a nap, I'll catch you both on the flipside" Tigress informed them.

"Your Valley Girl accent is really coming out in your home city" Le Chevre chuckled.

Tigress flipped him off and continued on. She walked down Grand, and it didn't take her long to cross the café where Julia sat at the table, she didn't see the blonde. Tigress felt like an impromptu meeting was in order. She sneaked up the stairs and walked towards the table, and playfully put her hands around Julia's eyes.

"Guess who?"

Julia immediately panicked, she turned around. "Sheena!"

"Hey, that thing we had to do? Going perfectly."

"You shouldn't be here!"

"Why, what's wrong. I'm in civilian clothes. Those A.C.M.E. stooges won't know what—"

Before Tigress could finish. She glanced over and saw Carmen walking towards them from the restroom. Tigress immediately recognized the brevity of the situation and her eyes widened as Carmen glanced up, catching a glimpse of her.

With quick thinking, Tigress grabbed Julia by the collar. "Gimme your purse!"

"HEY!" Carmen hollered.

Tigress quickly let go as if she had just noticed Carmen and sprinted away, with Carmen at her heels. Tigress ran across the street between an alleyway, Carmen was close behind her. After turning a corner, Carmen hatched an idea.

Julia followed but further behind. Carmen ran up the side of the walls of the two buildings of the alleyway and leaped forward, tackling Tigress to the ground. "This has gotta be a new low for you, Tigress. Purse snatching?"

"Get bent!" the Blonde hissed.

"What are you stalking her now? I know you and your little friend kidnapped her before your little Fort Knox heist. How'd you get out?"

"Carmen!" Julia ran up behind her.

"She...she kidnapped you, right?"

"She escaped in transport her to another facility" Julia lied. "It was...out of our hands" She got out her handcuffs and cuffed Tigress's hands behind her while she still laid on the ground. "We have a very escape-proof holding center in Chino. She won't escape us there" Julia knelt down, keeping the con going. "Your nine lives have run out, kitty cat" she forced Tigress to her feet. "Thank you for helping me catch her, Carmen. This won't go unrewarded. I'll make sure Tigress here gets what she deserves."

"Guess this kind of ruins our lunch date" Carmen shrugged. Tigress's expression soured for a moment.

"There might be others in the future, possibly" Julia said nervously.

"You sure you can handle this?" Carmen asked. "I mean—"

"Of course I can" Julia interrupted her with a bit of a hiss in her voice. "Thank you, again" she flashed Carmen a smile, giving the silent goodbye. "you should go. I've radioed for more backup from A.C.M.E." she lied. Carmen then turned to go before any other A.C.M.E. agents joined in.

When she was gone, Julia uncuffed Tigress. "Lunch date?" the blonde retorted.

"Sheena, darling, it's not what you think. I promise" Julia reached into her pocket, pulling out the business card. "The location here is where she's hidden our money, and the faculty has already sent operatives to retrieve it. I assure you, this was strictly business" Julia smiled, stroking Tigress's face the way she did Carmen's. "Carmen means nothing to me."

Tigress looked uneasily at her evil girlfriend. But, there was just something about Julia's charm that made her swoon, and while she was suspicious, she tentatively believed her. "We should get back and uh, plan."

"Who says we have to plan?" Julia raised a seductive eyebrow. "I'll meet you back at our room. Best we not be seen together with A.C.M.E. around."

"Right. I'll see you there" Tigress nodded. She gave Julia a kiss and walked away. Julia walked in the opposite direction, staring at the address on the card.

ESCONDIDO CALIFORNIA 2055 HOURS

We cut to 28791 Terence Winter Way in the San Diego suburb of Escondido. More importantly, we see the address belongs to this modern looking warehouse on the outskirts of town. Vincent's Continental convertible sat out back. Inside the warehouse were stacks upon stacks, upon sacks, upon stacks of cash. Literally isles were filled with the green stuff. Vincent and Gypsy were giving the place one last onceover.

"Third pass, everything checks out" Vincent reported. He turned to Gypsy who was staring at his phone in annoyance.

"I told you that two passes ago!" he blared.

"What's eating you?" Vincent asked.

"Some robo caller keeps trying to get a hold of me! If my iPhone says Potential Spam, I don't touch it!"

"You know how to block those guys, right?" Vincent asked.

"Yes Steve Jobs, in fact I do."

"Alright, well we can handle it later. Let's lock up, everything's good to go."

"The minute these audits are over, we're back in bus—" Gypsy began before his phone vibrated, same caller. "You know what, I'm gonna tell off this jerk!"

"That's the spirit" Vincent deadpanned.

"What! What do you want?" A disgruntled Gypsy answered. "Hello!?"

A scrambled man's sounding voice was on the other line. "...Run..." the call cut. Gypsy moved the phone away from him in confusion.

Vincent raised an eyebrow. "Run?"

"I dunn—" Gypsy couldn't finish before he heard brakes screeching outside...then some more. Then the pounding of boots...The two veteran morally flexible businessmen had a hunch they knew what that meant.

BOOM!

An explosion rocketed the main warehouse doors. When the smoke cleared, many green-clad V.I.L.E. operatives stormed the place, Crackle Rods at the ready.

"Aw crap!"

"What do we do!?" Vincent asked.

"What do you think!?" Gypsy screamed. The two drew pistols they carried with them and fought back. Shooting at the V.I.L.E, operatives through the aisles of cash. Vincent and Gypsy slowly moved towards the back door. Both ducked behind a pile of money, reloading.

"How'd they find us!?" Vincent asked.

"Shut-up!" Gypsy shouted. "We'll worry about that later! We used to work for V.I.L.E., remember? They'll kill us!"

"What about the money?" Vincent asked.

"We got kids, Vin! Gotta cut the loss"

Vincent sighed but nodded. The two got from behind cover and started to shoot their way towards the back door. From a skylight above, two more operatives broke through and roped their way down. These were the latest in what was limping into the V.I.L.E. barn: Spinkick, the Asian operative who was obviously a Mortal Kombat reject, and Flytrap, a relative facsimile to Daenerys Targaryen of Game of Thrones fame. (Tell me I'm wrong)

They landed right in front of the gun wielding duo. "Well-well, what have we here?" Spinkick asked.

"Take another step and you're dead!" Gypsy warned.

"The feelings mutual!" flytrap threw one of her bolos, barely missing Vincent.

With quick thinking, they picked a few stacks of cash from the pile. "Here kid! Welfare check came early!" Gypsy threw the stacks at Flytrap. Vincent followed his lead. They took the opportunity to sprint for the back door.

"After them!" Flytrap ordered.

Outside, the duo made a sprint for the Continental. Vincent quickly turned on the engine while Gypsy jumped in back, reloading. "Floor it, Vinnie!"

Vincent gunned the engine while Gypsy fired at the back door where several operatives ran out to try and catch the pair. While Gypsy missed every shot, it provided them enough cover to make a getaway. You Keep Me Hangin' On was also playing on their radio.

"Seriously, how did they find us?" Vincent asked.

"Who the heck knows. But if they found us, they probably know we were the ones helping Carm. Let's be on the safe side and lam it for a while, huh?" Gypsy suggested.

"I guess we don't have any other choice" Vincent sighed, continuing down the road, they weren't followed.

Back inside the warehouse the operatives were reconnoitering. Spinkick shuffled through a stack of cash while Flytrap called the faculty on her communicator. Gunnar, Bellum, and Roundabout were on screen.

"Professor Maelstrom, we've secured the warehouse. Take a look" she showed them the ocean of green.

"Superb Flytrap. It's all there?"

"It's gotta be. And yo, I can confirm that those two guys were the ones helping Sandiego." Spinkick explained.

"They were both inside when we ambushed them" Flytrap continued. "but they got away."

"No matter, small potatoes. We will deal with them in due time. Just make sure our money makes it home safely" Gunnar ordered before ending the call.

BATTLE CREEK MICHIGAN SAME TIME

They had just hung up, and the three veteran villains were breaming with happiness. "Just think, soon we will see the end of Carmen Sandiego, and have our funds returned" Bellum mused.

"Marauder is quite the super villain. We really should find something to show her our affection" Gunnar suggested.

On cue, Brunt and Cleo entered the faculty lounge.

"Coach, Cleo! We just got off the phone with Spinkick and Flytrap" Bellum reported.

"They have confirmed that our money stolen by Carmen Sandiego is safely back in V.I.L.E. hands" Roundabout continued.

"We figured as much" Cleo added.

"We were discussing a proper reward for Marauder's evil deeds" Gunnar stated.

"Funny you should say that. Me and Cleo were doin' some thinking" Brunt explained.

"Someone of Marauder's caliber is simply wasting her time as a mere field agent. She should share her talents with the rest of V.I.L.E...for generations to come" Cleo cryptically explained.

"Oh?" Gunnar raised an eyebrow.

"We were thinking Marauder should join us at our table...as one of us" Brunt finally said.

The three faculty members raised eyebrows. "Make Marauder a faculty member?" Roundabout retorted. "Did I hear you both correctly?"

"A sixth member? This is a joke, right?" Gunnar asked.

"I never joke, Gunnar. And we're serious" Cleo assured him.

"And how did you both come to this revelation?" the pale skinned Swede asked, his smile faded.

"Think about it, Gun" Brunt began. "She's been a field operative for one week and in said week she: got us the Hope Diamond and other sparkly goodies, the tapestries at the Vatican, all the gold in Fort Knox, AND rescued our money."

"Not to mention bringing Carmen Sandiego to her knees and decapitating A.C.M.E. where they stand. Thanks to her, we are invincible" Cleo added.

"While I do agree Marauder is beyond impressive and defied all our expectations, she is far too young, too egotistical, and still she's been here two weeks" Bellum explained.

"And it's that ego that nearly landed one of our operatives in prison" Gunnar deadpanned.

"But she got Tigress out of the hoosegow, handed us the Chief of A.C.M.E. AND found a perfect scapegoat to take the fall if need be" Brunt countered.

"What classes would she teach?" Roundabout asked. "She and I are essentially one in the same, it would be redundant."

"In the first place it gives you a chance to be at your civilian post where we need you" Cleo scolded him. "And more importantly, you can handle the double-agent and deception classes, I'm sure Marauder can handle the stealth portions.

"If anything, Roundabout, it allows you to have more free time" Brunt added.

"We would have an even number" Gunnar gritted his teeth.

"You've always been our unofficial leader, Gunnar, were offering you Veto power, should we fail to come to a consensus" Cleo explained.

"This isn't the Supreme Court" Gunnar fumed. "She's far too young. Do we all remember the last time we gave a seat to a young operative?"

"Marauder and Shadowsan are not the same person" Brunt countered. "Not hardly."

"Besides, we've concluded that this shall not pass except with a unanimous consensus" Cleo explained, raising her hand. Brunt followed her lead.

"What do you say?"

"Saira?" Cleo looked over at Bellum.

"On one hand she is unpredictable and over-confident...but then again, she did get me all those Sour Patch Kids" Bellum stood up, raising her hand as well.

Cleo smiled, turning to Roundabout. "Nigel?"

"I would like to remind everyone she was once our enemy. But seeing her work is like watching Shakespeare in motion" he raised his hand, Gunnar's face worsened.

"Et tu, Roundabout?"

"Need I remind you, Gunnar, I was given my button for merely saving our operatives from a sting operation. Marauder has done more than that tenfold."

Gunnar sighed, he was the lone swing vote. On one hand the thought of an even number voluntarily was certainly concerning...but he couldn't shake the fact that Julia was a first-rate thief who definitely needed to share her evil gifts with the world.

"Veto power?" he reiterated.

"Absolutely" Cleo nodded.

Gunnar sighed. "I certainly can't be the one who derailed this" he raised his hand, making a consensus. "The ayes have it. Marauder will be V.I.L.E.'s newest Faculty Member."

"I'll fetch the spare chair" Roundabout insisted.

"I'll get the leaf" Brunt rubbed her hands together.

"This shall prove to be a marvelous decision" Cleo smiled. "For soon, with Marauder joining our table and sharing her talents, there won't be anyone on earth who will stop us" All five heads smirked wickedly, we slowly pull away as the room erupts in evil laughter.

LOS ANGELES CALIFORNIA SAME TIME

Tigress was dressed in her catsuit. El Topo and Le Chevre were preparing as well. Julia was taking a shower in the bathroom, a really hot shower. Tigress eyed up the bathroom door and noted the steam billowing out.

Inside, we see Julia's head inside the steamy shower. She hung her head, doing some sad reflecting on her new life. The opening of Casting Such A Thin Shadow by Underoath played in the background. Julia suddenly heard a knock on the glass door. Tigress entered, not at all caring that her uniform was getting soaked.

"Have you...have you thought about that...maybe...maybe there's more to this life of ours?" Tigress asked. "Being thieves."

"It's our life. It's what we chose. You were the one who turned me onto this life, Tigress. It's thanks to you I'm not a sucker anymore. I never want to go back to that ever again" Julia hissed.

"I know, but—"

"No. I've never felt more alive in my life, Sheena. Devineaux, called me this altruist who would do anything for the greater good no matter the cost...to his credit he was right; what did all that get me? To be pushed around and unappreciated? No more. For once in my life, I finally did something for myself and ONLY for myself. And you know something, my tiger? Turns out I'm a damn good thief. I've made a better villain out of myself than I ever was as some goodie-two-shoes and I am never going back. I'm the queen of thieves" she mused, sauntering over to Tigress. "And this queen needs her princess."

Tigress, though nervous blushed. She cracked a smile. Putty in her hands she leaned in, making out with Julia once more. The song faded as the water and steam cascaded over the two of them.

AGOURA HILLS CALIFORNIA 2109 HOURS

Chase was back on the freeway. The song he was jamming out to was Knights of Cydonia by Muse, the first verse was playing. Chase groaned and grunted as his car was at a standstill as he had hit LA's famous traffic just on the outskirts of the city.

But he was more determined than ever, ready to strike. The traffic may have been eating his soul on the inside, but it will be all the more worthwhile to put Julia in handcuffs and prove his worth not only as an agent, but as a human being.

LOS ANGELES CALIFORNIA 2148 HOURS

Carmen stood on the under construction building across from The Broad. There was a growing police presence outside, but no sign of A.C.M.E. Carmen opened her communicator to Player. "Any sign of her, Player."

"Nada, Red. I am getting a heat signature inside, but I think he's bound or something."

"A guard probably. Okay, I may be walking into a trap, but this time, I'll be prepared" Carmen said before shooting her grapple gun across the street.

A few blocks away, A.C.M.E. was stationed upon the orders of Anthony to guarantee they'd be too far away to stop the heist. "Hey, why do we gotta stand back so far?" an agent asked.

"Um, e-easier to set up a perimeter to catch them" Anthony stammered. His nervous hands pulled a newly bought flask out of his jacket. Agent Connors saw him take a long swig from it.

"Is that a flask, Agent Falco?"

"Mind your own business, Connors" he sneered. "That goes for everyone!" he hollered. They each looked at Anthony with concern and dread. He shed a tear and turned his back on them.

From another building across from the museum, Marauder saw Carmen sneak in through a window. She got on her communicator where El Topo, Le Chevre, and Tigress were on screen.

"A.C.M.E. will be off our backs, but we will still need a distraction for the police outside."

"We'll take care of it" Le Chevre assured her.

"Just be careful...please" Tigress begged.

"I will be fine. Meet me at checkpoint alpha once I have Carmen Sandiego" she said before disconnecting, and heading for the museum.

Chase was speeding down The 101 towards Downtown, taking the 110 interchange, he was so close he could taste the sweet victory. Determined he sped through the traffic, ready for the fight of his life.

Meanwhile, the three stooges were by the museum, which had a heavy presence of the LAPD. "Great, how are supposed to distract all those black and whites?" Le Chevre asked.

El Topo turned to the street next to him. H saw some loose bricks next to a storefront. Picking one up he turned to the other two and they shrugged. El Topo then turned to the store, here's the windup, and the pitch! And he smashed the window.

Two youths saw this nearby. "Hey! Are we rioting?" one asked.

"Um...yes." El Topo said, making it sound like a question.

There was a pause. The two cheered, and others followed suit. Throwing other road debris at the stores, looting ensued, and the police were forced to abandon their post and assist.

"Huh, that was easy" Le Chevre smiled. Tigress looked at the scene unfolding with a look of dread as her counterparts went on a shopping spree.

Inside the museum, Carmen found the room containing the statues. Little did she know they were fakes. But as she was about to inspect them, a light shined on the other side of the room, revealing the tied up man, which was Shadowsan. Carmen gasped, running over to him.

"Shadowsan!"

Carmen tried to undo his restraints. He yelled something muffled, and Carmen heard the sound of a blade whistling through the air. She ducked right before it decapitated her. She turned to see no one around.

Suddenly, laser beams came out of the darkness and Carmen ducked so Shadowsan wouldn't get hit. Carmen drew her gun from behind cover. There was nothing. She saw Marauder run between a row of statues and Carmen fired at her, missing. Marauder slid and aimed the laser hitting its mark on Carmen, but it was stun. It knocked her back to a window and Carmen smashed through it, landing in the alleyway with a thud. She looked up to see Marauder standing on the window sill and she fired, missing again.

Carmen got to her feet and headed onto the street where the situation was becoming increasingly violent. More laser beams came from out of nowhere, forcing Carmen to retreat. She fired her last few shots, and reloaded her weapon on the run. She headed down Grand.

"Player! She's on my tail!" she called into her com link.

"Gotcha Red! There's a subway station two blocks away. Perishing Square! You can either lose her or find a spot to lay in wait!"

"Please and thank you!"

Carmen ran to the intersection of Grand and 5th, turning to her left she took off down 5th, Marauder sprinting towards her indiscriminately firing her laser. Carmen fired her gun, waiting for a moment when no rioters were in her sights.

She ran to 5th and Olive, an intersection of Pershing Square. She headed for a subway entrance, Marauder still after her.

Meanwhile, Chase had finally made it to Downtown, he was driving up Olive. He parked his car a block away, seeing a sea of laser beams down the block. He knew who those belonged to. What luck. He parked on the side of the road and exited his car, gun at the ready.

"Perfect" he mused.

Chase took a deep breath and walked to a subway entrance to the station about a block away from where Carmen and Marauder entered. He looked down the steps and walked slowly, gun drawn...

Carmen ran down into the ticket counter section, some people were rushing up the subway platform. It was too close quarters so Carmen holstered her weapon. She headed down the hall but Marauder was nowhere to be seen.

She sighed and headed towards he platform, but as she was at the stairs, she felt the burn of a stun laser hit her right in the back and Carmen tumbled down onto the subway platform. "Gah!" she screamed.

Coming out of the shadows was a smirking Marauder, taking us to where the story opened...

BATTLE CREEK MICHIGAN 2314 HOURS

We cut from the action over to the V.I.L.E. dungeons. Chief sat on her cot, her eyes shifting across the hall to Zack and Ivy's cells. The veteran woman sighed loudly, certainly loud enough to catch the siblings' attention.

"You two are pathetic, you know that?" Chief blurted.

"The prognosis is bleak, doctor. How about a little bedside manner over here, huh?" Ivy sarcastically spat.

"She is right" Vivian added. "You let her walk all over you."

"After you were so confident you could destroy her in a fight" Chief piled on.

"I didn't think she would actually. I'm angry and stressed! Leave me alone!" Ivy fumed.

"Yeah, what options? Join V.I.L.E. willingly or go to jail?" Zack asked.

"Have you two ever considered an alternative?" Chief asked facetiously. The two looked at one another, then shrugged, then back at Chief. "I thought not. Look, they're offering you your mental freedom if you join up on your own accord."

"Were not gonna steal for V.I.L.E.!" Zack charged.

"Well, were I you, and I'm glad I'm not, I'd take them up on their offer and go along with their schemes and then inform on them to the authorities while assuming these new identities" Chief explained.

The redheads looked quizzically at one another. Did really just suggest what they thought she was suggesting? "You mean like, be double agents?" Ivy whispered.

"Worked for Argent, who says it can't work for you?" Chief shrugged.

"While we rot in here you can relay information to us" Vivian explained.

"And when the time comes, and a case gets built, V.I.L.E. will have nowhere left to run. Think of it this way. You think Carmen doesn't respect and appreciate you both, so here is your opportunity to get a little revenge and prove her to the contrary" Chief added.

Ivy turned to her brother. "Well, what do you think, bro?"

"I mean, it's gonna be rough, Ivy."

"Yeah...but won't it be worth it to prove it to Carm that were not just a couple of screw-ups?"

Zack sighed. He shrugged. "What the heck, what do we got to lose, besides you know, our lives."

"I'll take that as a yes" Ivy nodded, reaching through the bars to shake Zack's hand.

"I woulda just been working on the theme song anyway" he shrugged.

"Well alright then. Just know you two are probably our only hopes" Chief sighed.

"No pressure, though" Vivian smirked.

Ivy took a deep breath and shouted down the cell block. "Yo guard! We wanna talk to you! My brother have decided to take yous up on your offer!" Ivy paused. "Were gonna join V.I.L.E.!" she and Zack smirked.

LOS ANGELES CALIFORNIA 2232 HOURS

AND finally, we are now up to speed on where we left off in our opening chapter with Julia's reveal.

Carmen laid against the side of the platform, the vibrations grew a bit louder, a train was moments from coming through the station, and when it did, it would most certainly decapitate Carmen's head.

But the Latina was in absolute shock. Her eyes watery, big fat tears streaming down her face as she looked up at the horror of Julia in the Marauder outfit, snickering at her. Her foot on Carmen's chest, there was nowhere to run.

"Hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm-ah-ha-ha-ha-ha" Julia snickered "Look at you. My-oh my how the mighty have fallen. Fitting that you'll meet your demise below ground. I don't think this could be any lower for you."

"N-n-n-no-no" Carmen cried. "It can't be you...IT CAN'T!"

"Believe it Carmen. This is no nightmare, no dream, this is real. I am Marauder. I am the one who fooled you—defeated you at every turn. Your crush, your friend...your greatest enemy."

"I wanted SO badly to believe it wasn't you. I drove myself crazy thinking about it."

"Then I've done my job" Julia smirked.

They paused, Carmen heard the train whistle again, she turned her head seeing a light through the tunnel. A moment later, the subway train peaked its way into the station...it showed no signs of stopping.

"Farewell, Carmen Sandiego. I'd like to say it was nice knowing you. But you and I both know that's a lie" Julia ominously stated.

The train blew its whistle, speeding up. Carmen looked up but saw that it looked like Julia lifted her foot slightly off of Carmen's chest. Whatever the reason, Carmen took the opportunity and made one final leap, jumping up and knocking Julia down. Carmen flipped onto the platform mere milliseconds before becoming street pizza. Her hat flipped off of her in the stunt, landing on the ground.

The train continued on, as the alarm sound was a signal to the conductor to keep on going. Tearing up, Carmen stood, staring down Julia who was certainly amused. "I suppose a final showdown is much more fitting than watching a train separate your head from your body" Julia mused.

"Why Jules...WHY!?" Carmen demanded. "For the love of God! Please-please don't tell me all this was because I rejected you!"

"Oh please! There you go again. It's always about you, isn't it? It's always been about you! Of course I was heartbroken in the forest. Yes, I didn't just want to be a member of your team...I did want you, Carmen. You could imagine my surprise at lunch when I learned you wanted me too. But it matters not. Yes, I was dismayed that The Faculty's predictions about you were true, but this was more than that. I was sick and tired of being pushed around—not just by A.C.M.E. and Devineaux, but by you. My so-called friend. And please spare me your diatribe about your wretched upbringing, I know all about it! You're just some bleeding heart, guilty about those who raised you, and trying oh-so desperately to right those wrongs...all to make yourself the righteous one. And now look at you. No friends, no money, V.I.L.E. and A.C.M.E. on your tail."

"This isn't you, Jules! They must've—m-must've—" Carmen stammered.

"They did nothing, Carmen. Not a thing. The Julia Argent you see is the real Julia Argent. No mind control, no evil clone, all me. And all they had to do was make me realize how much of my life I was wasting away—preserving history, helping you in your pursuits. It nearly cost me my job, my sanity, and my happiness. I realized, why preserve history, when I can own it. No more do I have to follow the rules, paying museum membership fees when I can simply take a piece of history. I could wait in a long line to see the Mona Lisa...except I don't have to, because it now hangs in my room. Who needs to push people aside to get a snapshot of the Hope Diamond, when I can see it in V.I.L.E.'s vault whenever I please. I simply realized how boring and dull it is to be the good, sweet, innocent girl I always was and how much that was getting me nowhere. What's the point of helping people? It never actually does any good."

"I help people for a living, you monster!" Carmen snarled

"Oh, do you? Once again, you prove my point. Sure, you steal money from V.I.L.E., you give it to some poor people, feed a few orphans, fix a few dilapidated buildings...and I bet that makes you feel so good about yourself, doesn't it? It makes up for the guilt and shame you've imposed upon yourself because of V.I.L.E.'s mission. You see, you grew up in a vacuum, so I'll try to explain this to you" she continued. "Money does not solve problems, it only reinforces your ego, your self-esteem—"

"My ego?" Carmen spat. "That's rich, Jules."

"SHUT-UP!" Julia screamed, taking Carmen off guard. She pointed her wrist laser at Carmen. "You don't interrupt me. Now where was i? Ah, yes; a little bit of money is useless without opportunity attached to it. All you're doing is putting a bunch of unfortunately low-income people in an endless cycle of indentured poverty, and all so you can feel whole. That's why this has always been about you. You've helped no one but yourself, Carmen. And you are such a manipulative little liar. Whatever happened to you "helping Devineaux and myself when Chief threatened our jobs", remember that? Of course not. Everyone is a pawn to you, all to forward your pursuits. You're the monster! Not me! At least I know what I am. You can fool the world that you're some misunderstood Robin Hood but I know the truth!"

"You're so hateful" Carmen hissed. "All the people you could've helped and all the good you've done, blown to bits. If you think for one second I'm gonna let you win this, then baby you're sadly mistaken."

"Oh, and how do you plan to defeat me, exactly?" Julia asked with sarcasm. "Last I checked, you're all alone, and you and I both know you can't defeat V.I.L.E. on your own, especially against someone so formidable like me."

"Simple, I told you I'm turning myself into A.C.M.E."

"You don't think we can get to you at A.C.M.E.?"

"Roundabout has no pull there. Even with whatever dirty deeds you got going, there's no way they'll give me up. And when I do surrender, I'm exposing you" a determined Carmen assured her.

"You'd really go to prison?" Julia raised an eyebrow as another train passed on the opposite track.

"It'll be worth it to get you off the streets for good. I may go to prison for a few years, but for everything you've done Jules, they'll throw away the key."

"A few years" Julia chuckled. "How humorous. You see Carmen, I wouldn't be where I am today without covering every angle. Sure, you can sway any compassionate jury with your modus operandi of stealing from thieves, and you may even get a pass for the hacking if your information on V.I.L.E. is accurate" Julia continued, but her demeanor changed to something more sarcastic. "But, how ever will you convince anyone to let go of your...large scale money laundering operation?"

"Nobody knows that except you, and besides, since you guys got the money, there's no proof" Carmen said triumphantly.

Julia smiled wickedly. She reached into her belt and held up her A.C.M.E. pen. "You might want to reconsider that" she clicked the pen twice, playing back an earlier recording at lunch.

"I must know, how were you able to get that money to the charities with such skill and precision"

"Technically...I-I've been laundering it."

"Really now?"

"These corporations, we give them some money, they write fake receipts to cover it up, they then take the money and make a donation so we can take the dirty money and guarantee it gets into the right hands where no one was the wiser...except, it didn't work."

A dumbfounded Carmen stood slack-jawed as the recording finished. Julia placed the pen back in her belt. "My-my. Such a crisp recording of your voice. What an unfortunate bit of evidence. It certainly would be a shame if the authorities were made aware of these crimes. If I'm not mistaken, money laundering falls under the federal Racketeer Influenced Corruption Organizations Act, otherwise known as the RICO predicates. A sentence that could easily carry twenty years or more. So, if you wish to take me down Carmen, you'll take us both down...forever. And you can thank Devineaux for the secret recording idea. When that boob puts his mind to something, he's not so pathetic after all."

Carmen stood frozen. But that didn't last long. All the stress and anxiety of the past two weeks if not longer started to boil. Especially because she was SO against the money laundering to begin with! Julia played all her cards and there was nothing that could stop her. Carmen started to seethe with rage. Her tears drying up, she clenched her fists.

"That's right, get angry. Lose control. Become the caged animal you know you are deep down. Stop this good girl routine Carmen, it's getting ol—"

Before Julia could finish, Carmen lunged, taking the raven haired double agent by surprise. Carmen slammed Julia against a column, her hands around Julia's neck. Julia tried fruitlessly to slap Carmen away, but it was no use. Carmen got a grip around Julia's neck and squeezed.

"I gave you pieces of my soul, Julia!" Carmen hissed. "And you betrayed me!" Julia tried to say something, but her breathing was constricted. She tried in vain to push Carmen off her. "What's the matter, Marauder? Got nothing to say now? It'll be easy, and no one will know I did it. You may get away with being a thief, and a kidnapper...but I'll be getting away with murder!"

With one last ditch effort Julia clapped her hands simultaneously against Carmen's head, causing a loud ringing noise, which is all we hear. Carmen let go, in pain. She fell to her knees and Julia kneed her right in the face.

Julia fell, taking a much needed breath. Carmen was slow to get up. Julia was able to get up first, she kicked Carmen in the face while she was on the ground. "Wow, you were really going to kill me, weren't you?" Carmen hacked and coughed violently. She looked up at Julia once more. "Big mistake Carmen San—" Julia lifted up her foot.

BUT, as she did, someone came into the light behind them from the other platform entrance. Gun in hand, it was Chase. Julia's back was to him. "FREEZE!" he hollered. "Hands where I can see them!" he ordered. "Now back away from Carmen Sandiego and turn around slowly...Julia Argent!" he hissed.

Julia condescendingly complied, smirking and putting up her hands. She turned around, facing Chase, before making a slow clap. "Well-well. Bravo Mr. Devineaux, bravo. Or, is it Agent Devineaux again? Whatever it is, I know it isn't "Special" Agent anymore, I saw to that."

"I'm not in the mood for mind games!" he boomed.

"And to think of the carefully laid trail of breadcrumbs I left for you? I practically exposed myself in the Union Square Building. Did I have to shout: I AM JULIA at the top of my lungs for you to get it?"

"Blah-blah-blah. Fine, you: Julia Argent are a renown super-villain and I am not fit to shine your shoes" Chase rolled his eyes. "Now, on our knees. Hands behind your head, interlock your fingers!" he ordered.

"Oh, I don't think so."

"Then I will have no choice but to use force" Chase ominously deadpanned. "I've killed before, and for far less than what you've done."

Julia once again ignored him. "How did you not see this coming? How long would I have to bear witness to your torment and your bullying? This was a long time coming, Devineaux. Everything you've ever earned: dumb luck or on the backs of someone hard-working. Someone like me!"

"Fine! I'm an insecure jerk! I'm sorry, Julia! Trust me, I mean that. But I am not letting you walk out of this metro station unscathed. Handcuffs..." he said, then clicking the hammer back on the gun. "Or body bag?"

"Devineaux! She's crazy!" Carmen hollered from the ground. "Don't test her!"

"You should listen to La Femme Rouge you know...in fact, you really should listen to anyone other than your selfish self" Julia insisted. She smirked and slowly took a step towards Chase.

"I mean it, Argent! Get back!"

"I don't take orders from you anymore."

"You have...you have until the count of three!" Chase stammered.

Julia continued to lurch towards him. "One" she took a step.

"Julia!"

"Two" Julia took out a blade from its sheath.

"I'm warning you!"

"Three!" she chucked it like a boomerang, the blunt edge, knocked the gun from Chase's hands. Julia sprinted towards him before he could recover. Chase tried to grab his handcuffs, but Julia beat him to the punch...literally.

"Devineaux!" a weakened Carmen yelled.

Julia jabbed Chase in the face. When he bent down, she kneed him in the ribs and he cried in agony. She did this again and again until Chase was on the ground, violently couching up some blood. While he was on the deck, she unsheathed her other blade.

"Such a fitting end for such a pathetic man" she sneered. "Am I some altruist now?" she mocked him.

Carmen saw what Julia was about to do. She glanced down for a moment and saw Devineaux's fallen handcuffs nearby. With wide eyes, she forced herself to her feet. She reached into her holster and pulled out the suppressed pistol. Tears streaming down her face she aimed it at Julia, her aim shaky.

"Drop it, Jules!" Carmen warned.

Julia turned around, undaunted. "Ah yes, I forgot. The reason I nearly perished in the Paris sewer. I see your aim is just as terrible."

"Stop talking!" Carmen warned.

Julia smirked and took a step towards Carmen, dropping her blade. Her demeanor instantly changed, a look of concern...innocence graced her face. "But Carmen, you don't want to hurt me."

"Try me" Carmen sobbed.

"Carmen, this-this doesn't have to be this way" Julia innocently explained, slowly walking towards Carmen. Devineaux watched from the ground, still a little weak. "Look, I-I-I lost my temper, that's all."

"That's putting it mildly" Carmen hissed, her aim shakier as Julia closed the distance between them.

"Carmen...darling, baby, trust me, I was never going to hurt you. Honest. Look how miserable you are. So angry, so much vitriol...I'm not your adversary Carmen. You know deep down I never was...but I know someone who is" she glanced over at Chase. "Come now, you don't want to keep living this stressful life of misery. You should channel that anger where it's needed. Come with me back to V.I.L.E. I have the faculty's undying respect. I can make them do whatever I want."

A despondent Carmen paused, still shaking. "W-W-What?"

"I can convince them of anything. We shouldn't be enemies. After all, there is a mutual attraction between us" she cooed, now so close the tip of the suppressor was right against Julia's forehead. "Run away with me. Back to V.I.L.E. where both our tremendous skills would be put to good use."

"Go to hell!" Carmen cried. "I'll kill you."

"You don't want to kill me. Carmen, I can get you whatever you want. And I know exactly what you want, what you've been craving" Julia said, then stroking Carmen's tear-soaked chin.

"W-W-W-What?" Carmen blushed, she couldn't help herself.

"That's right. You don't think this wasn't all carefully planned? I wanted it this way. You're so miserable in this life, I can see it in your eyes. Come with me. We can go on capers together, just the two of us" Julia continued to stroke Carmen's chin.

"T-T-T-ogether?"

"Yes, my darling."

"But, y-your girlfriend."

"As I said before: nothing lasts forever. All I ask in return is a bit of loyalty. Channel your anger to the one person who has wronged us both..." Julia smirked, turning to Chase, desperately trying to army crawl to his gun. "Kill Chase Devineaux."

"WHAT!?" he wheezed.

"You-y-yo-you w-w-w-want m-me to-t-to k-ill him?" Carmen stammered.

"It's only fitting. He needs to be stopped, and this is the only way that can work. You know the second he gets the chance he'll try to put you in jail."

"That's not true!" Chase screamed. "Carmen! Do not listen to her!" he begged.

"Think of it as exterminating a pest...a pest who made our lives unbearable, and in return, I'll give you the world. You and me, side by side. The way it was meant to be."

"But-but-but w-wh-what about-a-about—"

"Do not worry about the faculty or my girlfriend...let me worry about that. Cement your loyalty to me by killing that idiot!" Julia demanded. "I broke you, Carmen...it's only fitting I put you back together, the way you were meant to be. Us, lovers and thieves until the very end. I promise I'll never hurt you again."

Carmen seemed to be responding. What options did she have, plus, she couldn't help but blush as Julia stroked her face. She slowly lowered the gun, and a smile crested upon her lips. "Really Jules? You would-you would do that for-f-for me?"

"I would do anything for you, lover."

"No Carmen! I have so much to live for! I-I-I was just starting to grow as a person!" Chase begged, crawling faster.

"Jules...if I agree to do this, will you kiss me? I want to know what it feels like."

"Of course. Sealing our arrangement with a kiss."

Julia leaned in. The two touched foreheads and Carmen hit Julia's lips first. The Latina was very new at this whole kissing thing...and attraction for that matter but she was a quick study. The more experienced Julia took control, her tongue exploring Carmen's mouth.

BUT, she didn't notice Carmen slide her gun into her pocket, then forcing Julia's arms to her sides. Julia didn't seem to notice as she was lost in the kiss...but it was about to turn sour. Julia felt something on her wrist...two somethings. She felt two rings being placed there before being locked. Carmen then released from the kiss, a slight smug look graced her face. Julia backed up, realizing her wrists were now cuffed behind her, courtesy of Chase's handcuffs.

A dumbfounded Julia was aghast. "Wh-What is this!? You tricked me!?"

Carmen then put on a sad voice, forcing a tear from her right eye. "R-R-Really J-J-Ju-Jules? You'd do that for-for lil' old me?" Carmen parroted in a very sarcastic tone. "A poor defenseless little girl?" she asked in a little kid voice, before shifting to serious. "Someone who you can manipulate and control like you've been with everything else."

Julia was at an absolute loss for words. She really didn't see that coming...right? Chase found a second wind to stand up, triumphant he was alive. "Julia Argent! You're under arrest!" he announced.

"WHAT!?" Julia snarled.

"For, oh, I dunno: kidnapping, attempted murder, soooooo much grand larceny" Carmen sarcastically listed Julia's crimes.

"And obstruction of justice!" Chase added.

"It's so crazy. Sweet, smart, measured Julia never would have fallen for that...but this evil, egotistical, narcissist Julia dove right in" Carmen mused, closing the gap between them again, now with a serious face. "I'll admit, Jules, you fooled me. You fooled me real good. You played to all my weaknesses and exploited every one of them. I fell for it: your charm, your moxie, your beauty...but I will never EVER fall for it again. There will NEVER be a you and me. Because you are dead to me. But hey, look on the Brightside, I have it on good authority you'd look really cute in prison stripes" Carmen winked, alluding to her dream.

"You two really think I'm going to prison?" Julia asked.

"Ummmmmm, yeah, yes we do."

"For a very long time!" Chase added.

"What about your money laundering scheme!" a panicking Julia stammered.

"Good point, Jules" Carmen then reached into Julia's belt, grabbing the pen. "Devineaux, how do you erase recordings on this thing?"

"Oh I don't think so, Richard Nixon" Julia smirked. The two had forgotten about her wrist laser. Julia shot it right at the chain, vaporizing it and setting her wrists free. She then shot at each cuff, melting them, and they fell to the platform, freeing her once again.

"Aw crud" Carmen deadpanned.

"Now then, since you both seem so determined to take me down and since there's no one to witness any of this. I'd say the only recourse is a fight to the death. Because I'm not going to prison and I don't want you both to leave here alive."

Knights of Cydonia dropped in the background, building up to the chorus of the song. (There is literally not a better song for this particular situation) Carmen and Chase eyed one another up, both nodding. With a shot of adrenaline the two lunged forward as Julia jumped, and the chorus dropped in.

The two tried to gran Julia but from her jump she slammed their heads into one another. She landed, Carmen recovered first landing some kicks on Julia's chest. Chase tried to grab her but she got out of his grip, he tripped into Carmen.

"Ha-ha-ha, are you both even trying?" Julia taunted them.

The two lunged once more. Chase socked Julia right in the face, but she then recovered and drop kicked him while Carmen tackled Julia to the ground. Julia responded by rolling herself off of Carmen and elbowing her in the face.

Chase saw his fallen pistol and made a slide towards it. Julia slid first, kicking it further down the platform. She got Chase in a headlock but the heavier Chase threw her over his shoulder, and she flipped to recover.

"Pathetic! I'm not even tired. You'll have to try harder!"

Carmen and Chase looked at one another, then they smirked. Julia went for one of her blades on the floor. She didn't notice the two lock arms and sprint towards her, knocking her over in a clothesline into a column.

Julia Took her hands and clonked their heads together, able to break free of them once more. Chase made a jab and Julia zigged away. Carmen lunged and Julia danced out of her grasp. Dang, she seemed slicker than Neal.

Carmen finally got a good roundhouse kick to Julia, who fired her laser at Carmen, barely missing her as Carmen made a Matrix slide but Julia socked her in the face as she slid past, which knocked the pen from her pocket.

Julia saw Chase grab his pistol from the ground. She shot at his wrist, it was stun but it still knocked the gun from his hand once more, she fired again, at his chest, knocking him to the floor. He was in pain but alive.

"Devineaux!" Carmen called. She drew her pistol just as Julia was about to fire again, setting the laser to something more substantial. Carmen took a deep breath, and aimed the gun right at the wrist laser. She fired one shot, and knocked it right off Julia's wrist, shattering it. "How's my aim, now?"

Julia smirked. "Good girl" she muttered. Julia made another roundhouse kick, knocking Carmen's gun from her and onto the tracks of the station. Julia then tackled Carmen to the ground, pinning her down, her demeanor changing once more. "You really think you can defeat me, Carmen? I'm better than you! Smarter than you! And I'm a better thief than y—"

She was about to sock Carmen right in the face, but with one last breath of adrenaline, Chase got to his feet, he lunged, tackling Julia off of Carmen. The two heard another train coming into the station.

"Thanks, Devineaux!" the two got to their feet as Julia remained on the ground. "You know what, Jules, fine. You're a better thief, a better criminal, a better villain...but I got something I know I'm better at than you...A better person."

"Same here" Chase deadpanned.

Before Julia could quip the train rushed through, and the two leaped on to the side of the platform as it blasted its way through the station, smashing the pistol in the process. Chase forced one of the doors open and he and Carmen rolled inside, safely heading into the tunnel as the train roared to the next stop.

"Fine!" a teary-eyed Julia shouted. "Go and run! There isn't a place in the world where you can hide from me!" Julia looked at the mess of things on the ground, grabbing her blades, she saw Chase recovered his gun, but there was one thing Carmen left...her hat. Julia picked it up, smirking, she headed for the steps, picking up her pen as well, cementing the evidence she had against Carmen.

We cut to inside the empty subway car. Carmen sat against the wall on one side, seemingly defeated. Chase leaned against the wall on the other side. For a few moments the two stood in silence.

"You okay, Devineaux?"

"Define okay" he sighed.

Carmen briefly chuckled. "When did you figure it out?"

"In a way, I always knew. I just needed a reality check to help me see it" he sighed.

"I can't believe I fell for her" Carmen sneered, tears in her eyes. "Never again. All this time I thought I was this messed up monster. She made me feel that way without even realizing it...but then again, it was all just to bottle up my repressed desires."

"Do not beat yourself up over this, Carmen Sandiego. We will get her back."

"How? I have nothing. V.I.L.E. has my crew, my money—everything! I can only imagine what she took of yours!"

"Yeah and uh, I'm sorry about you know, your charities—the audits."

"It's not your fault, Devineaux. You're just doing your job" Carmen sighed.

"Listen, this seems bleak, I know. But you and I we made a pretty good team, no?"

Carmen half smirked. "Red and blue, side by side." (Huh, red and blue...working together...what an odd concept!)

"I heard you talked to Vincent Hanna. I did too. That old man has some good wisdom, but he and a friend of mine thought of a crazy idea that I was against at first but now I see we may not have another choice...I'm proposing a truce between us. We work together—as equals, as partners, to bring Julia and V.I.L.E. to justice. What do you say?"

Carmen sat frozen. On one hand, she knew the history she had with Chase and none of it good. But they did make a good team when they worked together and there was little Carmen could do on her own. But could she do it? She sat silently.

"Listen, I know the past you and I have, but this is different now, Carmen. I am not the Chase Devineaux you once knew, I am a new man, and-and-and I think—"

"Devineaux?" Carmen interrupted him. He stood silently, falling into the empty seat he was leaning against. Carmen stood up, and with a look of determination, she held out her hand. "Let's take her down."

Chase smiled and the two shook hands.

Julia walked up the steps towards the streets where the riot was getting out of control. She stared at Carmen's hat, flipping it over she caught a glimpse at the logo inside: CARMEN BRAND OUTERWEAR SAN DIEGO. Julia smirked, she may have let her ego get the better of her, but she was still smart. She took out her communicator, the call was answered by Cleo.

"Countess."

"Marauder, so glad to hear from you. I just wanted to let you know your information was correct and all the money was recovered from the location you swindled from Carmen Sandiego."

"Speaking of San Diego. What does the name "Carmen Brand Outerwear" mean to you?"

"It's a niche clothing outlet. Cookie, our accountant was crazy about it. They've gone under I believe. Why?"

"Carmen's hat, it bears the logo. And if my hunch is correct, I'll bet if we find the location, we'll find her headquarters. San Diego...I doubt it's a coincidence."

"Excellent. We'll send some operatives right away. You have truly defied our expectations, Marauder. Were all so proud of you. So proud that in fact, we have a special surprise waiting for you upon your return...a life changing surprise."

Julia smiled. "My butler?"

"Oh-ho, far more life changing than a butler. You've done good, we wanted show you our esteem. Ta-ta" Cleo cut the call just as Julia reached the surface, looking at the chaos unfolding around her. She was quickly joined by El Topo, Le Chevre, and Tigress, the former two holding armfuls of stolen merchandise from stores they helped loot.

"All this from one little distraction?" Julia asked.

"All I did was throw one brick through one window. I swear" El Topo shrugged.

"It's LA, we'll riot over anything" Tigress sighed, running up to Julia " But, you're okay!" she gave her a hug.

"My darling. I am fine. Unfortunately, Carmen Sandiego got away. But she will not get far."

"So you didn't kill her—or anyone?" Tigress asked.

Julia raised an eyebrow. "No. Not yet."

"What do we do now?" Le Chevre asked.

Animal I Have Become by Three Days Grace begins to play. Julia flicked her mask down and putting Carmen's hat on her head, becoming Marauder once more. "Now we wait for her to surface. We can still use Shadowsan as bait to lure her out. In the meantime, this town is ours for the taking."

El Topo and Le Chevre liked the sound of that. They ran to another store which still had un-stolen merch while Marauder grabbed an uneasy Tigress by the hand and pulled her into the fray as Los Angeles continued to devolve into a riot around them. The song continued to play as the credits rolled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, everybody! I'm still taking submissions for sequel titles, and for any ideas you guys have! Do leave a comment, give peace a chance, and always keep California dreamin'


End file.
